Many places to the west of Royston experienced their wettest ever September. However, for Royston (or, more particularly, my garden) September 1995 was slightly wetter - how disappointing! However, the elements hadn't finished and on the 1st well over an inch of rain fell. If September had had 31 days, it would have been the wettest month since I started recording in 1992! The impact of this horribly wet year on our wildlife has been very negative, and it was clear after all the rain that my macro lens would be of little use until next spring.
I eventually got out on the 4th, the second of two miraculously sunny days, walking up the Icknield Way (west of Royston) and later doing a 'there and back' section of the Icknield Way to the east of Royston. I didn't get as far as the Heydon Pig Farm, but saw plenty of gulls on recently ploughed fields along the way. Corn Buntings were starting to flock just over the Cambridgeshire border - I counted 13 on telegraph wires, with possibly more very distant birds. Red Admirals were the dominant butterfly, although I did see a single Meadow Brown near the house.
Gulls (Three Species) in flight near Royston, 4 October
There has been a big influx of Yellow-browed Warblers, blown by easterly winds, into the country this autumn. Whilst most have stayed on or near the east coast, at least three have been sighted in Hertfordshire. I was (ambitiously) hoping to record one on my local patch this year, but was unlucky. However, I did notice lots of Chiffchaffs on all my walks until well into October, including birds on two separate dates in the back garden. More and more of these birds are wintering in the UK as our winters become milder. Last winter, one was present on The Heath. I wonder whether any will stay locally again.
I finally put my macro lens away for the winter after the 4th, but not before snapping an intriguing little fly near Royston Hospital. It appeared to have something in its mouth - a much smaller insect, perhaps? I couldn't identify it using 'Brock' - I must get an insect identification App (if one exists) or find a helpful web site.
Mystery Fly, Royston, 4 October
In an effort to retain a veneer of fitness and lose some weight, I have been going on my 8-9 mile 'round the villages' walk roughly once a fortnight this autumn. It is interesting to compare October's walks on the 8th and 23rd. On both walks I recorded 40 species of bird (37 seen). Whilst around 15 Chiffchaffs (including three together along the Icknield Way) were recorded on the 8th, just three were recorded on the 23rd - a sure sign that these birds were mainly passing through on migration. Four House Martins were seen over Therfield village on the 8th, but by the 23rd no summer visitors (other than the Chiffchaffs) were recorded. However, some Redwings were feeding on berries in Reed village on the later date and a flock of about 90 Golden Plovers (my first local sighting of the year) flew over the Icknield Way. A couple of Common Gulls, seen on the 23rd, were the only other sign of winter visitors on either date.
Chiffchaff, Therfield, 8 October
Long-tailed Tit, Royston, 8 October
Seven species of butterfly, including Comma and Speckled Wood, were seen on the 8th, whilst on the 23rd (a warm day with sunny periods) only Red Admirals (lots) and a single Small White were recorded. The presence of so many Red Admirals, most in good condition, strongly suggests that individuals are hibernating during our mild winters, rather than migrating. The warm, sunny weather of late October also brought out two male Brimstone butterflies in Jubilee Wood on the 24th.
Comma Butterfly, Therfield, 8 October
A Little Grebe was on Phillup's Lake on the 8th, and one was heard there on the 23rd, when four Tufted Ducks were also seen. One of the (female) Tufted Ducks had a large patch of white at the base of the bill. This is not unusual for this species, but it did make me wonder whether it could be the offspring of the presumed Tufted Duck x Scaup hybrid, which was seen here on a couple of occasions last winter - maybe 3/4 Tufted, 1/4 Scaup, perhaps? Just speculation. Hawker and Darter dragonflies were seen here on the 8th, but by the 23rd only a few Common Darters remained. These will continue to fly until we either get the first frosts of the winter (if that ever happens) or the weather becomes too cold for them to fly.
Female Tufted Duck (with a bit of Scaup??), Reed End, 23 October
Multiple Raven sightings were noted on both walks, although I never saw more than two together. With hundreds (possibly thousands) of Red-legged Partridges having once again been released on Hatchpen Farm for shooting, Ravens in this area have another potential food source. I haven't identified any nest sites on my local patch yet, but surely it won't be too long before I do.
Raven in Flight, Reed End, 23 October
Ironically, the last ten days of October produced probably the longest dry spell of the year (if you discount a bit of drizzle), with above average temperatures - if only we had had this weather in the spring! There was a bit of sunshine about, but under high pressure the weather was largely cloudy.
