October's lust.

As the seasons change, so does the wildlife. There are no summer migrants left over Belvedere Fields, not a Swift or Swallow in sight. I have noticed a large increase in the activity of the Thrushes and Jay's in particular, as is expected at this time of year. The Thrushes will be making the most of the berry crop until the winter migrants from Scandinavia start to arrive, these being Fieldfare, Redwing and Waxwing.

The Jays are busy burying food for the winter, they depend heavily upon trees, especially Oak for their existance. They bury acorns for their winter food and also store beech-nuts, peas, potatoes, fruit and berries. Studies on how many acorns a Jay can store in just one season revealed that a single Jay can store as many as 5,000 acorns, a staggering amount. The jay can also remember where it buried most of its stock by using nearby features to help lead it to the spot, just remarkable.

My visit yesterday was during a break in the weather, however soon after i got back a thunder storm rolled in. Jays were indeed abundant on the trip, as were the Thrushes. A group of 4 or 5 Song Thrushes were present at point 3 along with a few Blackbirds. In the field behind point 3, four Mistle Thrushes were on the ground next to the pond, along with a Grey Heron standing motionless. A buzzard made a low swoop across the field, scattering the Thrushes.

Jackdaws and Magpies were making a lot of noise on the water treatment plant and further on 3 Grey Wagtails flew over in the direction of the small stream. Just before Point 5, where i am going to be placing my feeders in the next 2 weeks, a flock of 10 Yellowhammers flitted in the hedgerow, a strong group of both males and females. My favourite time to see Yellowhammers is in the winter, their yellow and chestnut plumage stands out beautifully against the backdrop of frost or snow.

In the field adjacent at Point 5 a large gathering of Rooks perched in the tree, with some feeding in the field, the number was around 20 - 30. This is the first time i've seen Rooks over Belvedere Fields, i was kinda hoping of possibly seeing a Ring Ouzel passing through on it's journey up north but alas i did not. 

I will be going more often in the next week or so, bad weather or not, i want to record the date of the arrival of the winter migrants. It shouldnt be too long now before Redwing and Fieldfare return to the area.