22nd September

I think Ainderby has had a nature bypass in recent days, exceptionally quiet for the time of year. A walk down the river today saw some good areas of mud exposed but only a single Green Sandpiper and Snipe to show for it. A Yellow Wagtail, a dozen Swallows, three singing Chiffchaff and a pair of Mute Swans were the only other birds of note.

Yesterday walking to the north of the village I saw two Sparrowhawks, a group of seven Grey Partridge (still haven’t recorded Red-legged yet this year) and heard Golden Plover calling. I eventually found the goldies tucked into the middle of a beet field with a flock of Lapwing…

When a dog walker flushed them there was a surprising total of 90 Lapwings and 12 Golden plover hidden in here.    

In the Magic Garden the only sightings were a very fresh looking Comma butterfly, this bee species…

And at least half a dozen Migrant Hawkers around the reedbed…

15th September

Another exceptionally quiet week for birds. The one highlight was my first Peregrine of the year, it was perched in a field along Potter’s Lane on Friday evening. Unfortunately it saw me before I saw it so the tiny dots in my photos aren’t even worth posting. As it flew away it did a half-stoop at a flushed Woodpigeon and knocked it to the ground but didn’t stop to take advantage and the lucky pigeon lived to fight another day.

Also along the river were the first returning Meadow Pipits, a Yellow Wagtail, 20+ Swallows, at least three (singing) Chiffchaffs, Little Egret, a pair of Mute Swan and a single Goosander. Not a single wader seen or heard and, although Pinkfeet are now starting to move through Yorkshire I had to make do with a skein of Greylags…

A relatively quiet week for butterflies too although there were still Painted Ladies around and I also spotted a Small Copper along Greenhills Lane, quite a common butterfly but surprisingly scarce in the parish. This is only my third sighting in the last ten years…

The start of the real fungi season too with this striking one seen in the Magic Garden. It’s one of the Ganoderma species, possibly G. australe (The Southern Bracket)...