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......