Now that autumn is upon us I've been making a bit more of an effort with the patch. I've been walking over to the cattle, which are very often a fair way into the Hinterland area, to check out the YELLOW WAGTAIL. There have been up to 20 of these birds all feeding away at the feet of the livestock looking for flies that have been disturbed. The main thing that I look out for in amongst the Yellows is the possibility of a Blue-headed Wagtail. This is the continental form of this species and the past few autumns I've managed to find one. Fortunately this time around I managed to find yet another BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL, yet again a female - the very white throat and upper breast are diagnostic for this sub-species.
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| Female Blue-heded Wagtail |
There was a juvenile HOBBY kicking around the southern end of the Meadow for a few days last week, hunting Swallows and Martins I guess. It was nice to see this bird hanging around for a while. Lapwing numbers are still in single figures - we really need to have some more rain so that the floods reform. Meadow Pipits are back on the Meadow now and Linnet numbers are building up.
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| A Kingfisher down by the boat moorings |
Along the Castle Mill stream there have been plenty of dragonflies with Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker and Migrant Hawker all seen as well as both red Darter species.
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| Southern Hawker |
