Late September Update

Well the month has just about gone now and so have nearly all the summer migrants. Unfortunately I've been working one day at the weekend, so with the nights drawing in, visits have been short.
Meadow Pipits have arrived on the patch, with 55 on 22nd Sept. The morning of 26th yielded two juvenile Hobbies and a quick visit on the evening of 27th had me dashing off to get my camera as three Wigeon(112) were on the lake.

Drake Wigeon ( Juvenile or Eclipse?)

There are still good numbers of Mandarins with 14 being seen yesterday. I did manage a two hour walk yesterday ( 28th) and managed 43 species, which included the first Siskin of the autumn plus  a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, a few Chiffchaffs and 31 Swallows.
On a quick walk after work today I saw 2 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel in the air together over Shirrenden.
There were still a few Small Coppers in the ditch opposite the pumping station and three species of dragonfly were seen around the lake( Common Darter, Brown Hawker and 3 Migrant Hawkers.

Migrant Hawker

On a sombre note yet more valuable habitat has been lost from the patch with an area of scrub being cleared to make a field a little bit bigger. I'm particularly upset as this held two pairs of Willow Warblers and a pair of Turtle doves this year. What is wrong with these GREEDY, IGNORANT B******S!.

More habitat gone forever!!

August ended with warbler numbers dropping dramatically. There were still numbers of Spotted Flycatchers around with 10 in the paddocks at Shirrenden, 2 in Sprivers and 2 at Share Farm on the 31st of the month.
On the second of September the lake contained 9 Mandarins as well as a few Chiffchaff in lakeside trees plus 2 Reed Warblers and on the Shirrenden side a couple of Blackcaps and 8 Spotted Flycatchers during a brief visit after work.
On 3rd a very short visit produced a Grasshopper Warbler(111) which I nearly trod on in the ditch opposite the pumping station in Furnace Lane. A fantastic addition to the year list and only the second I have found on the patch.
A visit to the lake at 06.00am on the 4th produced the first Peregrine since June and on my way home from work I had a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which flew over my head.
On the butterfly front there have been a few Clouded Yellows around with four present on the 4th along with a G-R Dragonfly, a Common Darter, a few Migrant and a Brown Hawker.

Common Darter