One sign of autumn is the return of the golden plovers to Spring Hill. This year the first few arrived in early October and the flock seems to increase every few days and now numbers around one hundred. They will be a wonderful sight on bright sunny days as they wheel through the sky, appearing to change colour at every turn.
Walking home one evening last week, I was delighted to hear a tawny owl in the churchyard. They are one species that enjoys the shorter days and longer nights, with more time to hunt and feed. Adult tawny owls have an established territory and will know their patch better than any human gardener. They have a very catholic diet, taking birds, small mammals and even fish from garden ponds!
Several people have commented that the robins seem to be singing very loudly now. Robins sing to protect their territories all year round, but they are always more aggressive protectors of their space in autumn. What is known as their 'autumn song' is particularly noticeable because so few birds are singing at this time of year.
Sighting of the month is the juvenile goosander seen at Duck Bridge, probably on the way to winter quarters. These birds are fantastic ‘fishermen’ and have been known to take quite large trout.
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