There were autumnal signs aplenty in October. A little grebe on the river on October 3rd, occasional meadow pipits and skylarks flying over (left), eight tufted duck and a coot back on the Tonford lake, four mallard on the newly wet fields on the 21st, first snipe on the 26th, and a goldcrest giving away its presence with high-pitched calls also the on the 26th. Any one of these records may not sound very exciting, but they all represent species that had not been seen since the first four months of the year.
The parakeet is still present, delighting, puzzling and annoying people in equal measure.
From 2012-2016 jackdaws were regularly to be seen feeding in Tonford field or flying over the Marshes. Since then they have become a rarity here, hardly ever seen on the ground, but up until a year ago still flying overhead from time to time. This year even overflights had become a thing of the past, and so a single bird calling as it flew by on the 26th was definitely noteworthy, having not been recorded since March.
The squirrel was back at the start of the month, and eleven magpies were present on the 21st.