Weekend

Saturday gardening mainly involved leaf-clearing with bird highlights of 6 Pied Wagtails and Coal Tit. A Silver-Y moth was found and a Red Admiral took an interest in the underneath of the trampoline as if it was looking for a roosting location.
Sunday was a wash out and I stayed in, moving furniture around and waiting for a cooker fitter that never showed. I should have been twitching the Hythe Green Heron - let's hope it stays for a bit and I might make the trip yet.

Autumn Robins

Autumn Leaves

Robin

The garden Robins are more prominant now setting up their territories for the Spring - their rusty breasts in the low sunlight match the autumn leaf colours.

Meanwhile, Helen saw a Heron in the trees eyeing up the pond (5th record for the garden). Also Purrgeot catch his 3rd mouse last night and unfortunately brought it in dead.

Frog and Fungi

Shaggy Ink-cap

Froglet

The Shaggy Ink-cap fungi are up again all over the garden which had to go as I cut the grass for, hopefully, the last time this year. Also a froglet was found on the rockery next to the pond and an adult was seen at night in the torential rain.

Orange, Gold and Redwings

Orange Ladybird

Goldfinch (not stopping)

Goldcrest (not showing)

Two Redwings flew over the garden at the weekend - the first for the winter. Also, I got my first pictures of a flyover Goldfinch (they never seem to stop) and a elusive Goldcrest skulking around in the conifer. It is a constant challange to get some decent pictures of both these species. An Orange Ladybird (first for the garden) was more obliging and is a beautiful ladybird when seen really close up.

Park Life

Mallard with rubber band around neck

Grey Wagtail

Wimbledon Park at lunchtime turned up the Grey Wagtail again in the stream and I assisted a RSPCA warden in trying to catch a duck which had some sort of band stuck around its neck. The trouble is when he turned up with his oversized net all the wildfowl scarpered - I'm not sure whether he was successful or not as I had to get back to work.

Mouthfull

Young Mouse

Following on from Purrgeot's rat catching exploits the other week, he ran in last night with a full mouth and a tail hanging out between his lips. We managed to catch him and prise his jaw apart to reveal a shocked and damp but uninjured young wood mouse. After a few pics we released him into the garden.

Rat Catcher

Dead Brown Rat

Purrgeot was reluctant to come in last night although we knew he was out in the dark messing about with something. Finally he came to the patio doors and we let him in - complete with a dead Brown Rat that he had caught (12 inches long from nose to tail). He dropped it in the sitting room and was obviously very pleased with himself. This was only the second record for the garden - both seen dead.

Chiffchaffing

As we move into October and the temperature gets colder I'm suprised to hear Chiffchaffs still singing in the garden. Wren and Robins also heard and a couple of Jackdaws flew over this morning.