A pair of very steady Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) appeared on the Flo Pond on the 1st and were around for much of the day. Parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) emerged in the grass on the edge of the long path during the first week of the month. Heavy rain (23mm) on the 6th caused a blockage in the abstraction system which temporarily stopped the stream between the ponds flowing. There was another 20mm of rain on the 7th and over 30mm on the 8th. With almost 3” in 3 days the ground was waterlogged, and the new abstraction point on the river was almost submerged. On the 7th Harry finished mowing the top part of the Orchard. A Sparrowhawk chased a Woodpigeon, flying almost down the track in Kiln Close, hitting it mid flight, removing a cluster of feathers. The Pigeon got away and the Sparrowhawk circled over Kiln Close, getting mobbed by small birds.
During a break in the rain Meadow Pipits were seen in the rough grass. The crop was holding up well with lots of Millet seeds available, but no birds were seen feeding. Also, on the 8th a pool had appeared on the path near the top of Corner Wood path.
-
- Parasol Mushrooms
-
- Rising river
-
- Path in Corner Wood
A Barn Owl was spotted roosting in an open mobile release aviary in Kiln Close on the 11th. When it was seen it darted into the nestbox. There were about 30 Linnet on the winter bird food crop and a young Buzzard seen flying low over the crop. Seven staff members from Barratt Homes worked with Harry on their volunteer day clearing the Pennsland Lane hedge in preparation for laying. They also helped clear the stone walls in Forde Orchard, and removed the last of the netting at the bottom of the orchard.
Speckled Wood butterflies were still out and about on the 14th along with Red Admirals. The third Barbastelle bat box had fallen off the tree in Corner Wood. A Redwing was heard calling near the abstraction point on the river on the 15th and 30+ Linnet took flight from the crop landing in a large Ash in the Holly hedge. Nine National Grid staff on their volunteer day cleared a large patch of Blackthorn on the roadside edge.
There was heavy rain all day on the 16th, our wettest day of the month with 35.6mm (1.4 inches) the river was over the top of the metal grid, on the new abstraction. On the 17th there were 20 Linnet and 2 Stonechat on bird crop, a Bullfinch was seen in the Blackthorn Hedge, a Mistle Thrush flying over the LLP and a Buzzard in Kiln Close. A Kestrel was hovering over the airstrip before getting mobbed by small birds. There were a wide variety and large quantities of mushrooms appearing over the LLP.
Meadow Pipits are being seen almost everyday, on the 18th 10-15 were seen in the Main Field and 2 Tree Pipits.
Volunteers Steve and Leah worked with Harry on the 22nd to burn up half the brash cut on the roadside edge. A Kestrel was seen hovering over main field. On the 24th volunteers Jane and Sebastian joined Harry and cleared the last stretch of the lower stone wall and started the top one in Forde Orchard. Two Rabbits ran out of Pennsland Lane hedge towards the top field shelter. A Kingfisher took off from the Flo Pond and was spotted later in the day, again taking off from the Flo Pond.
Hedge laying began again on the 25th with Pip, Harry and volunteers Chris, Ian and Tim laying about 25metres of the Pennsland Lane hedge boundary cleared out by volunteers earlier in the month. At about 5pm a Woodcock flew out from the hedge behind the top field shelter and a flock of about 50 birds, probably Redwing, flew over the top of the field. About a dozen Meadow Pipits flying up from the rough grassland.
On the 28th a second group of 6 volunteers from Barratt Homes cleared & burnt Blackthorn along the roadside hedge in the Main Field. We held our Autumn Colours Walk on the 29th with 10 visitors most of whom had never visited the LLP before. We recorded a small flock of Yellowhammer (6) on the 31st flying between the crop and the hedge. There were also 8 chaffinch, 12 Linnet and 10 Goldfinch and around 12 Starling flew down the valley, we don’t see them here very often.
With 21-days of rain totalling 213.8mm (8.4 inches) this October was the wettest we’ve recorded here since 2013 although 2021 and 2023 came close, the average rainfall for October here since 2006 is 132mm. We had a mean temperature of 12°C which was 0.3°C lower than our 19-year average for the month.
See more Wildlife Diary posts here