Local Wildlife Sightings, October 2026

 The warm, dry, settled weather from September extended into the first week of October, with daytime temperatures reaching 24C on a couple of occasions. The latest 'drought' of over three weeks was finally broken on the 7th, when a day of rain at least allowed me time to update my blog! By the start of the month Small and Large Whites appeared to be the only butterfly species left on the wing. A few faded Common Darter and Migrant Hawker dragonflies were seen during my occasional local forays. Ivy, still flowering in shady areas, continued to attract Ivy Bees together with Honey Bees and a few hoverflies. I was interested to see both a Hornet Hoverfly, and then a genuine Hornet, flying around the same bushes near the house.

Ivy Bee on Ivy, Royston, 5 October

With nearly all the summer visitors having departed (except for a few Chiffchaffs) and autumn visitors yet to arrive, all was quiet locally on the bird watching front. A few Little Grebes and a single Tufted Duck were on Phillup's Lake when I visited on the 1st.

Female Tufted Duck, Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 1 October

I usually see Garganey in the spring, soon after they have arrived from their African wintering grounds. However, I missed out this year so reports of a young male bird at Wilstone Reservoir (Tring) encouraged me to make another visit on the 6th. Having earlier reminded myself of the differences between Garganey and the very similar (and similarly sized) Teal in 'eclipse' plumage, I was able to identify the bird (a juvenile male) fairly quickly as it swam around, showing well. The two images below (deliberately high key) illustrate the key features that distinguish Garganey from Teal, namely the longer, straighter bill, pale loral patch at the base of the bill, emerging stripe above the eye, pale, whitish chin and throat patch and the lack of a pale patch at the side of the tail. Some emerging feathers on the back (not clear in these images) were suggestive of this being a male bird. For comparison, I've included an image of a female Teal below, taken at the same time.

Juvenile Male Garganey, Wilstone Reservoir, 6 October

Juvenile Male Garganey, Wilstone Reservoir, 6 October

Female Teal, Wilstone Reservoir, 6 October

Also seen at Wilstone were an unusually pale Common Pochard, at least four Pintails and two Roe Deer (image of one below). An interesting observation was that a couple of Teal were seen diving in shallower water, even though this is known as a dabbling duck. The Ferruginous Duck that I had seen on my last trip to Wilstone was reported again, but I didn't see it on this visit.

Roe Deer (Seen from the Hide), Wilstone Reservoir, 6 October

UK Wildlife Sightings October 2026

 On the 2nd I drove up to Rutland Water, where two American waders (Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper) were both present, viewed from the same ('Shoveler') hide. Following the summer drought, water levels were very low and the Shoveler hide was one of very few hides looking out over water that was closer than 100 metres away. I was lucky to see both species at reasonably close quarters, with the Pectoral Sandpiper (one of the commonest American vagrant waders) showing well enough for me to get some decent photos - not great, but my best ever for this species. The Lesser Yellowlegs was also much closer than the individual that I had seen in September (September UK blog post).

Lesser Yellowlegs (with Shoveler), Rutland Water, 2 October

Pectoral Sandpiper, Rutland Water, 2 October

I visited other hides in the complex of Lagoons 2, 3 and 4 but 'Shoveler' was the only hide offering decent photographic opportunities - a couple more images from the trip are included below. Other waders seen from this hide were Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper and Snipe.

Common Snipe, Rutland Water, 2 October

Common Teal, Rutland Water, 2 October

Autumn is the best time to go sea watching on the east coast, as migrating skuas, shearwaters and some of the rarer gulls pass through the North Sea, generally heading south. I missed out last year, but on the 9th I decided to visit Sheringham to see 'what was about'. Wind is all important in governing whether many birds will be passing (in easterlies or north-easterlies) or none (in what are normally the prevailing westerly winds). The previous two days had produced good conditions for sea watching, but by the 9th (the only day that I could make) the wind had turned back to a westerly direction. Nevertheless, I did see a distant Arctic Skua and several juvenile Gannets in a little over an hour. I was also kept entertained by a Rock Pipit, hunting for invertebrates beneath the shelter where I was sitting. I decided to move on to Cley NWT reserve afterwards and was rewarded with a brief but close sighting of a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier on the reserve. I walked down to and along the beach seeing a second, much closer Arctic Skua, as well as a Spoonbill in flight and several more Gannets. Some of my images from the day are shown below.

Dark Phase Arctic Skua passing Cley NWT, 9 October

Juvenile Gannet over the Sea, Cley NWT, 9 October

Rock Pipit, Sheringham, 9 October

Following a quiet spell, I decided to visit Farmoor Reservoir, west of Oxford, on the 13th to see a Grey Phalarope that had taken up residence there. Grey Phalaropes are cute little waders which survive by surface feeding on tiny aquatic invertebrates and their larvae, which they bring to the surface by swimming round and round in the water. The bird at Farmoor had no need to do this because a strong wind was making the water very choppy and it had found the roughest edge of the reservoir. It took me a little time to find the bird, which was dwarfed by a nearby Black-headed Gull, but having located it I managed to get a few photographs as it was feeding.

Grey Phalarope, Farmoor Reservoir, 13 October

Grey Phalarope, Farmoor Reservoir, 13 October

Austria, September 2026

 My partner and I visited the Austrian Tyrol (an Alpine region) for a week's walking and relaxation (there is more of the latter than the former as I get older) near the end of September. The weather and scenery were fantastic, the hotel was excellent and the walking was good, but what about the wildlife? Well, this part of Austria is not renowned for its wildlife but I was hoping for something special - a Golden Eagle or a Snow Finch perhaps? The outcome was predictably more prosaic - here are limited highlights.

Birds

I explored the local village on five early morning walks. This was 'pine country', so it was no surprise that Coal Tits were the commonest species. Great Tits and Blue Tits were also common and a few Crested Tits (quite common and widespread in Europe) were seen or (more often) heard. Long-tailed Tits were heard on one occasion. Chaffinches and Goldfinches were common and a couple of Bullfinches (a female and a juvenile) were recorded on every walk. One notable difference with the UK was that Black Redstarts were very common, often being seen and heard singing from rooftops in the village. Flocks of Common Crossbills were seen on the edges of the village, where Nuthatches, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers were occasionally recorded. A few Starlings flew over and Blackbirds were resident. Swallows and Crag Martins, presumably passing through on migration, were seen on the first couple of days but not thereafter.

Female Bullfinch, Austria, 23 September

Black Redstart, Austria, 25 September

A Kestrel was seen on a couple of occasions and a Buzzard was heard, but no other raptors were recorded. Local ponds yielded only Mallard and Coot. On one day we took a funicular railway high into the mountains above the town of Seefeld. It was here that I saw my only Alpine speciality in the form of several Alpine Choughs, which were snaffling chips and other food items discarded by people at the Alpine restaurant - not an unusual sight in this part of the world - these birds are the Alpine equivalent of our Herring Gulls! At the end of the week I had recorded and identified 38 bird species, whilst a couple more 'got away'.

Alpine Chough (not a Blackbird!), near Seefeld in Austria, 27 September

Invertebrates

As in the UK, late September is not the best time for seeing invertebrates with most species' flight seasons having finished. Large and Small Whites were the dominant butterfly species seen, with a few Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows recorded, presumably on southwards passage. The ubiquitous Common Blue was also seen, alongside a few Red Admirals and a single Comma. The only non-familiar (for me) butterflies seen (although they do occur in the UK) were Grayling and Scotch Argus.

Grayling Butterfly, near Seefeld, Austria, 23 September

Dragonfly sightings had a familiar feel to them, with Migrant and Southern Hawkers, Common Darters and Willow Emerald Damselflies all recorded. A lake in the Imperial Gardens in Innsbruck was rich in these and possibly more species. The image (below) appears to show two male darters in tandem, but it is not clear which species they belong to - a mystery still to be solved.

Two Darter Dragonflies, Innsbruck, 25 September

Hummingbird Hoverflies were, as in the UK, quite common here. Some pretty grasshoppers, including ones that 'flew' for short distances, revealing red 'wings', were seen. One or two unidentified large, flying insects were noted but otherwise there was little of interest.

Mammals

Only two wild mammal species were seen on the holiday. A single black squirrel (presumably a melanistic form of Red Squirrel) was observed close to our village, but possibly the star of the show was a single Chamois, seen from the balcony of our hotel room, feeding in the grounds of the hotel! Despite the assurances of the holiday company, Marmots were neither seen nor heard at any stage of the holiday!

Chamois, as seen from our Hotel Balcony, 23 September

Local Wildlife Sightings September 2026

 Following the long, hot, dry summer, September brought more familiar weather with westerly winds and low pressure systems that fringed our area, producing small amounts of rain. High pressure to the south kept pushing up into the south east, producing some very warm, but not hot, days. There were reasonable amounts of sunshine, but nothing like the hours that we had had during the summer.

Wader migration through the country continued into early September. Reports of a rare Ferruginous Duck at Wilstone Reservoir prompted me to visit for a third time in a few weeks on the 2nd, giving me the chance to add more wader species to my Hertfordshire year list. Ruff, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper were seen at the jetty end. Five Ringed or Little Ringed Plovers were on the spit that points out from the island towards the jetty. At distance, I couldn't decide on which species they were, but when I walked round to the other end of the reservoir (near the hide) more (or the same) plovers were roosting on the mud and at least two of these were Ringed Plovers, probably on the way south from Scandinavia. These were much darker than the Ringed Plovers that I saw on the beach at Titchwell (see my September UK blog) , but nevertheless they were definitely Ringed Plovers!

Ruff, Wilstone Reservoir, 2 September

Two Barnacle Geese (feral birds, of course) were on the spit at Wilstone. People were looking for the Ferruginous Duck in that area and eventually it appeared, swam about for a bit and then clambered back on to the spit. A poor record shot of the bird, showing the characteristic white patch near the tail, is included below.

Ferruginous Duck (Bird on the Left) with Mallard, Wilstone Reservoir, 2 September

Barnacle Geese (with Pochard and Cormorants), Wilstone Reservoir, 2 September

The first half of September is often a good time to catch up with migrating warblers and Common Redstarts passing through the area. However, although a few were recorded elsewhere in Hertfordshire, I couldn't find any locally. A warbler subsong, heard from deep within a bush near The Heath, reminded me of Reed Warbler, but I eventually decided that it was just a Blackcap tuning up. I made an unsuccessful attempt to see a Red-backed Shrike in Bedford (Priory Park) on the 10th, but generally bird watching was pretty quiet. My monthly trip to Scales Park (Meesden)  on the 9th produced nothing better than a couple of noisy Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Little Grebes (seven counted) were much in evidence at Phillup's Lake, also on the 9th, with at least four juveniles, probably from two different broods, seen. All bar one were fully grown and would soon be unrecognisable from the adults. Moorhen, Coot and Mallard were the only other species seen.

Juvenile Little Grebe (fully grown), Phillup's Lake, 9 September

Unusually, more dragonflies (particularly Common Darters) were seen locally in September than had been seen earlier in the summer. A mating pair was seen at Phillup's Lake on the 9th, where a few Common Blue Damselflies were still on the wing.

Common Blue Damselfly, Phillup's Lake, 9 September

Butterfly numbers were lower than usual at this time of year, probably because they had burnt themselves out in a few days of hot weather after emerging during the summer months. A few Adonis Blues were still on the wing in September, most being on Lankester Hill, when I visited The Heath on 10th. Church Hill, at the other end of The Heath, was much quieter. Brown Argus butterflies (which only live for a few days, but seem to emerge over a much longer period than most butterflies), Common Blue, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Small / Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Peacock butterflies were all seen in the first half of the month but in small numbers. A single Clouded Yellow was seen not far from the house on the 7th.

Male Brown Argus Butterfly (Wings open) with a Female (Wings Closed), Royston, 7 September

Ivy Bees were, as usual, very active in September, feeding on flowering Ivy. Before flying off they seem to clean themselves (?) whilst resting on nearby leaves, as was the case for the individual in the image below.

Ivy Bee on Ivy Leaf, Royston, 10 September

Other invertebrates were in limited supply, although I did come across a sawfly with red legs, Tenthredo atra, close to the house (image below). Although this is, apparently, a common and widespread species, I don't remember seeing it locally before.

Sawfly, Tenthredo atra, Royston, 10 September

The second half of the month was even quieter. The only summer visitors that I recorded were Chiffchaffs, which usually stay on in the area into October, provided the weather is fine and there are no cold 'snaps'. A few Adonis and Common Blues were still on The Heath (Old Rifle Range) when I visited on the 17th (images below), but I failed to find any when I made a return visit, following my holiday, on the 30th. However, Ivy Bees were still very active and Hornet Hoverflies were seen on both dates.

Female Adonis Blue, Therfield Heath, 17 September

Female Common Blue, Therfield Heath, 17 September

Male Common Blue, Therfield Heath, 17 September

Hornet Hoverfly, Royston, 17 September

UK Wildlife Sightings, September 2026

 After more than ten years and 229,000 miles I finally said goodbye to my trusty Ford Focus at the beginning of the month. My final trip in it was to RSPB Titchwell Marsh, a reserve that we have visited together countless times over the years, on the 3rd. There was nothing special to see there (although a Spotted Crake turned up and showed well shortly after I left), so I concentrated on photographing the waders, walking along the beach out to Thornham Point. Several Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and Sanderling  were roosting out on the point at high tide. A single bird, roosting on its own, looked at first glance to be a rather plump Dunlin. However, closer examination showed it to be a much rarer Purple Sandpiper, still in partial summer plumage.

Purple Sandpiper, Thornham Point, 3 September

Several Turnstones were also present and, as is their nature, pretty tame allowing close views. The ringed Plovers looked markedly different to those that I had photographed at Wilstone Reservoir the day before. I suspect that the birds seen here (image below) were all UK breeding birds, whilst those seen at Wilstone were Scandinavian breeders (a different race), passing through on migration. There was no sign of wintering Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits or Grey Plovers, but I still saw 14 different wader species on the day.

Ringed Plovers (and Sanderling) in High Tide Roost at Thornham Point, 3 September

Turnstone on Titchwell Beach, 3 September

I was surprised not to see any Common Terns during my visit - presumably they had all departed for Africa. Sandwich Terns (which are always the first to arrive and the last to depart our shores) were still present in small numbers. A single, juvenile Little Tern also showed up and landed on the beach close to a Sandwich Tern, giving me a rare opportunity to photograph them together to show the large size disparity (image).

Sandwich and Little Terns together on Thornham Point, 3 September

I popped briefly in to Thornham Harbour on the way home. There were few waders around, but I did notice an Ivy Bee colony, with what I assume was a 'mating Ball' of bees on the ground. It isn't just frogs and toads that get excited at breeding time!

Ivy Bees at Thornham Harbour, 3 September

On the 6th I visited Chelsea Physic Garden in West London, with my partner and her brother. We all like visiting (botanic) gardens and Chelsea Physic Garden is particularly interesting for chemists (like me) and pharmacists who study the extraction and use of plant natural products in the treatment of disease. However, on a sunny day and having visited the garden before, I was particularly interested to see whether any dragonflies were present at the pond. In fact, good numbers of three species (Willow Emerald damselfly, Common Darter and Migrant Hawker dragonflies) were present and showed so well that I filled what was left of my memory card with photos of them! Here are a few images that I took on the day.

Male Common Darter, Chelsea Physic Garden, 6 September

Male Common Darter, Chelsea Physic Garden, 6 September

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly, Chelsea Physic Garden, 6 September

Migrant Hawker Dragonflies Mating, Chelsea Physic Garden, 6 September

On the 16th I was back at Titchwell, this time with my new car. Two Spotted Crakes, a bird that I haven't seen in the UK for seven years, were on the freshmarsh and, after a little wait, one emerged from the reeds. All my photographs of this bird were taken at long range and, unfortunately, looking into the sun (image).

"Record Shot" of a Spotted Crake, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 16 September

As usual, I walked along the beach to Thornham Point, encountering lots of waders and a Wheatear near the tip. Black-tailed Godwits showed well in the channel below the path that runs along the side of the Volunteers' Marsh.

Wheatear, Thornham Point, 16 September

Black-tailed Godwit, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 16 September

Our first RSPB Local Group coach trip of the season was to Rye Harbour (East Sussex) on the 20th. A good selection of waders, including Greenshank and Curlew Sandpiper, were seen on the reserve. After visiting the hides I explored along Winchelsea Beach and found several Knot, Ringed Plover and Dunlin here. A single Sandwich Tern was seen, as were several Wheatear around the reserve. However, the star bird was a Whinchat which posed nicely for me. A few images from the trip are shown below.

Curlew Sandpiper, Rye Harbour SWT, 20 September

Knot, Winchelsea Beach, 20 September

Whinchat, Rye Harbour SWT, 20 September

Invertebrates seen included a good variety of dragonflies. Several Clouded Yellow butterflies were also seen, and I finally managed to get a respectable image of one (below).

Clouded Yellow Butterfly, Rye Harbour SWT, 20 September

News of a Lesser Yellowlegs (an American wader and uncommon vagrant to the UK) at the Broom gravel pit complex near Biggleswade, encouraged me to visit on the following day. The bird was distant, but I managed a few record shots (one below). Had I known that I would get better views of another bird in October (an image will appear in due course in my UK wildlife post for October) I probably wouldn't have bothered taking any photos! On the 22nd I departed for a week in Austria, which I will also mention in a separate blog post.

'Record Shot' of a Lesser Yellowlegs, Broom Gravel Pit Complex, Stanford, 21 September