At this time of year there are always fewer birds in the garden and those that are seen are often taking food away for their chicks. Even the badgers seem to have stopped visiting, I went into the garden last night and disturbed a rat on the ground feeder. This wasn't helped by the fact that hardly anything had been touched during the day. I will be cutting back on what I put in the ground feeder for a while.
Despite the lack of large flocks or anything unusual it has been a pleasant time for birds. I am not sure where the robins in the front garden nested but they raised a brood as I have seen juveniles in the front garden and also had a family of dunnocks on the back fence. A wren has been very vocal near my kitchen window which does make the washing up a little more pleasant.
Sparrows seem to have nested nearby as I have heard them when outside and have seen one or two individuals in my rowan tree. Starlings will probably be absent from the garden fgor at least another week but they were being very noisy yesterday in a garden a few doors away.
Out and about the bluebells have eventually put on a good show although not as impressive as last year. With lockdown easing there are far fewer dog walkers around which has made deer a little easier to see.
Taking my usual walk today it was striking how the autumn colours had come on in the last few days. When the sun came out I really regretted not having the camera with me. There wasn't much to see in the way of variety or numbers of birds. A couple of probable skylarks put up on a cultivated field but the gem was naturally a red kite. Circling over the fields behind my house at tree top height it finally came over my head as I reached the edge of the field. Living where I do I suppose that I should be blasé about them by now but when one comes overhead there is no choice. I still just stop and say "wow!"
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