Out for a walk today the first hints of autumn are visible with a few trees showing hints of gold among the green. It has been a poor year for both top fruit and berries with no quinces setting on my trees and no crabb apples in the lane while blackberries have been fewer and smaller than usual. I have put out a fat block, much earlier than usual but it has only been there a couple of days, not long enough to see any reaction yet.
While walking a buzzard announced itself with a loud mew before appearing over the ridge right in front of us. We were given the opportunity to compare calls a few minutes later when an equally vocal kite came into view.
The jackdaws were noisy and seemed to be flying high very much after the manner of martins or switfts. There were also smaller birds, too small to make out even with binoculars but with flight patterns similar to martins.
I haven't been posting much due personal matters but still have my eyes open. One thing that has struck me is the eastward spread of birds of prey. I have seen buzzards over Havering-atte-Bower but the big suprise in the past month as been a red kite over the M25 near Stapleford Abbotts in Essex. The skys still look empty by Chiltern standards though. A nice little spot last week was a goldcrest during a visit to Kew Gardens. I have downloaded the Merlin app which supposedly identifies birdsong. I have had little opportunity to try it out but a quck test in the garden showd that it correctly told me that I could hear jackdaws and a robin. I look forward to using it on the coast to see if it can distinguish the various waders for me.
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