Autumn Arrives Slowly

Despite somewhat cooler temperatures over the last couple of weeks, I've seen plenty of dragonflies around Hornsea, even a pair of Common Darters ovipositing over my garden pond and an extra male basking in the sun. 

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

 

The only migrant warbler left locally is the Chiff Chaff. I've heard one or two still singing most mornings, but they have gone quiet since the start of October. Do they have a calendar I wonder?

 

Chiff Chaff

Over at the hide for an early morning visit there were three Great White Egrets and three Little Egrets - all being harrassed by a single Grey Heron that kept taking off and landing near them.
 

Great White Egret

Great White Egret in the morning sun

Little Egret

Great White and Little Egrets with Grey Heron

The local fox was seen running along a field edge and it could have had some in its mouth but it was difficult to see from so far away.

Fox

Common Pheasants have been quiet until recently but they are now being heard more often in the mornings. I disturbed a group of eight as I walked along Southorpe Road and stopped at one of the gateways, more together in one place than I'd seen in total for a few weeks.

Common Pheasant

Chats were moving through the fields this week with at least two Stonechats and one Whinchat populating the fence lines.

Robin, showing a Stonechat how to sing

Stonechat

Sunrises are back in vogue now that the sun is getting up later in the day 🤣🤣 The other morning we had the best one so far.

Impressive clouds during the sun getting up

 The other set aside field is hopefully going to keep our finches happy through the coming winter months with plenty of sunflowers looking great.

 

Sunflowers (not by Van Gogh)

 Autumn is the season for fungi and I found this Shaggy Inkcap in the middle of the track rather than in a grassy field or roadside verge.

Shaggy Inkcap (aka Judge's Wig)

 

On the Mere, Wigeon and Coot are currently the most numerous ducks. Lots of Greylag and Canada Geese are also arriving in the mornings, their calls drowning out everything else as they whiffle in.

Coot, Wigeon and the odd Gadwall