27th October

A walk along the river this morning in very gloomy conditions. Undoubted highlight was my first really good view of an English Otter. I almost missed it too, I heard a splash and assumed a fish jumping but fortunately lifted my bins and saw the Otter half out of the water. It then swam across the river and I caught up with it again when trying to photograph a Little Egret.

It was a big beast, presumably a dog otter, and rolled and tumbled in the water until it sensed me and dived deep and away.

Two Little Egrets were also on the river…

And my first Mute Swans since the spring...

The hawthorns in Migrant Alley were alive with scores of Redwings together with a handful of Goldcrests and a murmuration of around 3000 Starlings was seen swirling over Morton Flatts.

Other birds seen included Jay, Kingfisher, Golden Plover, three Buzzards, around 50 Greylags plus a Green Sandpiper in Ainderby.