What a gloriously gusty morning, the wind whistling in from the south west, at 25-30mph, the gusts reaching 42mph so far.
As I took the path around the field edges, a flock of small birds were being blown at speed overhead, their calling could be heard, although to me, it was not recognisable. A couple few did change direction and land amongst the shelter of the Blackthorn scrub and these turned out to be Linnets.
Flitting through the longer tufts of grass a group of Meadow Pipits, skulking low, before being blown sideways upon taking flight!
A definitive autumnal feel today, with the wind and the grey skies, as well as the hedgerows, drooping as they are in berries. The Hawthorn trees have a covering of their small red fruit, Blackthorn peppered with the purple of sloes and Brambles awash with blackberries.
The Rosehips are also looking fantastic, the bright red shapes covering these prickly plants, low to the ground the Cotoneaster also has red berries as does the wonderful ropes of Black Bryony.
Still lots of flowers in bloom, although many are in ones and twos now rather then hundreds, but still some tall Ox-Eye Daisies standing amongst the shorter Yarrow and Wild Carrot.
Tufted Vetch clambering over the grasses, providing purple splashes as is Greater Knapweed and the smaller Black (or Lesser) Knapweed. The single Chicory plant still providing a lovely pale blue
At the Dew Pond, now slightly muddy underfoot after the recent rain, a mass of Mayweed, with a few stems of yellow Agrimony, Fleabane and Hoary Ragwort.
On the stem of Cocksfoot was a papery thin cocoon of a Six-spot Burnet moth, the moth itself long gone.
Last night a Tawny Owl was ‘twitting’ and a few ghostly fly pasts were observed.