During the past week the changes in colour of the trees have started noticing. This is particularly apparent when driving on the A41 from Berkhampsted to Tring as I did to visit College Lake. I don't know if this is a factor of pollution from the road or of soil and aspect, the terroir as they would say in a vineyard. College Lake itself was unexciting except for one bird of prey that steadfastly remained perched in a position that didn't give a clear view. From the size a peregrine and a hobby were both possibilities being suggested in the hide. There were still a handful of swallows around.
I went to a gig in Harrow on Monday night which meant driving back through Latimer around midnight. This is always a good route for seeing wildlife at night although the best view was a fox in Pinner. In Latimer village I had the briefest glimpse of a badger's hindquarters as it vanished into the hedgerow. Sadly I had a much better view of a deceased one in Blackewell Hall Lane. This prompted me to check the gap in the back garden fence made by the badgers and there were signs that they were returning to the garden after their summer break. I will start setting the camera trap again in the next few days.
The garden has seemed very quiet with hardly any birds seen but I hadn't been explicitly looking. I have just started putting a little food out in the front and in 24 hours have seen Robin, Great and Blue Tits and Magpies landing in my tiny front garden. Yesterday I heard a song that was unusual to me which the Merlin app identified as a Blackcap. Unfortunately for me the bird was ensconsed in the middle of my Forsythia which is still in full leaf and I couldn't get a sighting. This afternoon I saw Robins in the garden and corvids overhead. I set Merlin running while I swept fallen leaves from the front path. The app identified Robin, Rook, Wren, Jackdaw, Greenfinch and Blackbird. I also heard Parakeets but not while the app was running.
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