Half-term, and the year is winding down

Like it says in the headline, the nights are drawing in, and the chill of autumn is definitely in the air. We've done a fair bit more digging and garden planning (and spending money on trees!), and the pond is very nearly full up.

Moth traps are producing very low catches now, of course, but we've had some quality - Red-line Quaker, November Moth and Large Wainscot being special highlights. Birdwise, the tits and finches are starting to make more use of the food we're putting out, and a substantial Starling roost at Ivy Lake (estimated at about 6000 birds) means we're getting spectacular evening shows overhead and to the north. The Bearded Tit (a Blashford mega!) Simon saw at Ivy Lake has yet to make it as far as our (roughly) ten stems of Phragmites in the poorly drained patch in the Lower Field, however......

Too long between posts....

Nearly a month has passed, and it's not like nothing has happened! Getting lazy....

Several good moth traps have added some new species to the garden list, such as Black Rustic, Blair's Shoulder Knot, Chestnut, Beaded Chestnut, Brown-spot Pinion etc., but birds have been distinctly quiet of late.

Black Rustic

Blair's Shoulder Knot - best cured by Miliband's Erotic Massage

Chestnut

Beaded Chestnut

Further afield, and excellent 'viz-mig' session at Hengistbury this morning turned up 7 Ring Ouzels, a Yellowhammer, a Brambling, 1000s of alba Wags, Linnets, Goldfinches and hirundines, and a good few Siskins and Chaffinches, all east.

Garden-wise, the pond is rapidly filling, thanks to the excess black EPDM liner adding to the catchment area, and various bits of willow screening are making things feel a lot more enclosed. Shrubs and so on are going in apace - major garden photographic update to follow, methinks!