SKYLARK SUE’S REFLECTIONS OF NATURE 

November 2013

 

Dull November brings the blast
Then the leaves go whirling past

 

Colour at Anglesey Abbey

 

We certainly had a blast last month, and the November woods are still littered with fallen trees and snapped branches, but on the whole November was mild with quite a bit of sun. It didn’t really live up to its ‘Dull November’ reputation.

 November 1st was a mild day, and consequently few birds were around the feeders. They preferred to feast on the numerous insects still in evidence. There was a smooth newt on the garden path; the amphibians are reluctant to hibernate while there is so much food around. On the following day, a trip to Cambridge resulted in an ‘almost positive’ sighting of a brambling in the hedgerow as we passed by in the car.

Mute swans at Hatfield Forest

The lake at Hatfield Forest

Last month's storm damage at Hatfield Forest

A visit to Hatfield Forest on the 3rd revealed many trees broken or fallen due to last month’s gale, and I was surprised to see some striped snails that had worked their way up the trunk of one upright tree. A lot of the trees are still green, especially those around the lake; the autumn colours haven’t completely taken hold though the leaves look tired and are beginning to discolour.

 There was a jackdaw perched by the nesting hole that the birds had nested in earlier in the year, so perhaps it was staking its claim already. Maybe it was one of those who had nested there before, or even one of the youngsters. On the lake were dozens of black-headed gulls, though naturally the black feathers had moulted to the winter plumage, leaving just a small blotch. A couple of mute swans were plying the shore hoping to be fed, and there were also coots, moorhens, greylags, mallards and Canada geese. Surprisingly, there were still red blackberries on the bushes, though the sun will probably be too weak to ripen them now. A very large stone, fallen from one of the walls or buildings, was covered in rabbit droppings. Obviously the creatures had decided it was a perfect latrine!

Rabbit latrine at Hatfield Forest!

Snail up a tree at Hatfield Forest

 

 

Moorhen at Rye Meads

Tufted Duck at Rye Meads

Mute Swan, Teal and Shoveler at Rye Meads



Lapwings taking to the air at Rye Meads

 November 4th was a perfect day to visit the RSPB reserve at Rye Meads, near Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a cloudless blue sky. Even so, I was surprised to see half-a dozen or so peacock butterflies in a group near one of the hides. Although Rye Meads is one of the smaller of the RSPB reserves, there are several trails and hides overlooking scrapes and lagoons. From the Tern Hide I spotted teal, gadwall, shoveler, coots and moorhens, as well as around 150 or so lapwings, which suddenly all arose in the air, a fantastic whirling spectacle against the blue sky. From other hides I saw gulls, mainly black-headed, and tufted ducks, mute swans and cormorants, and I watched a wren through one of the slats. Bushes along the paths were heavy with scarlet hips and haws, and there were even some roses still in bloom. There was a very strange fungus on the ground in one place. It closely resembled lumps of white polystyrene and was slightly slimy to touch.

Gadwall at Rye Meads

 

Black-headed Gulls and Coots at Rye Meads



Dunnock on the seed feeder

Many of our garden birds have been absent over the last couple of weeks, presumably because there are so many insects, fruits and berries around. On the 8th there were a few sparrows and tits around the feeder, and a magpie had been visiting the apple tree where a few apples still remain. On the 10th we moved the bird feeder pole from the lawn to its winter position on the garden path. It’s necessary to do this, as the lawn tends to get very boggy in the winter months and it’s much easier to replenish the feeders when they are so easily accessible, especially if we get snow. Great tits soon found the feeders, and gradually the other birds followed suit. A dunnock was spotted there on the 14th. At one time the dunnocks seemed quite shy birds in the garden, timidly shuffling around under the bushes, but now they are much bolder and will hold their own with larger birds on the feeder trays.

 



The oak tree was turning gold

The mild weather had continued, and by the 15th there were still plenty of insects about, so apart from the occasional sparrow, wood pigeon, tit or dunnock the feeders remained deserted. The trees were really turning now, and the oak across the road was mainly gold with just a few green leaves. It bore a good crop of acorns – oaks and horse chestnuts seem to all be cropping well this year. In fact, it’s been a bumper harvest for most trees and bushes, so if we do have a hard winter there will be a good crop of food for hungry birds. On the 18th a robin was following my husband around the garden, taking the worms and grubs as they were turned up in the soil. From the car on the 20th I spotted a kestrel hovering low near Bourne in Lincolnshire. It’s always so frustrating to get quick glimpses of birds from the car – there is rarely time to observe them, let alone grab a photo. This was yet another blue-skied day, feeling more like early autumn.

Starling on the Feeder

 



Magpie in the Oak Tree

 

The weather was getting a bit colder now and the birds were returning to the garden. On the 20th the sparrows had claimed their patch in the pyracantha and were very active on the feeders. The squirrel had been visiting frequently over the last few days, too. Surprisingly, on the 24th there were still some alpine strawberries waiting to ripen but it must be too late now. With the weather remaining chilly, as well as the sparrows in the garden there were two blackbirds, two dunnocks, three blue tits, and a robin. Magpies were in the oak opposite as usual. The following day the birds in the garden had been joined at the feeders by great tits, a wood pigeon and several starlings.

Stream at Anglesey Abbey

Stream at Anglesey Abbey

 

Beauty Berry (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Greater Spotted Woodpecker High in the Tree

A trip to the grounds of Anglesey Abbey, Cambs, on the 25th proved a delight as, once more, the sun was shining from a bright blue sky, showing off the trees to their best advantage. The autumn tints were stunning and there were plenty of berries, including some purple Beauty Berry (Callicarpa dichotoma). The algae that had been so thick earlier in the year on the stream had either been cleared or had died away, and the water was clear. Sightings included great spotted woodpecker, blackbirds, great tits, goldcrests, a large flock of goldfinches and a particularly friendly robin who pecked around our feet along the woodland path. Amazingly, we even saw a bee on one of the shrubs.

Great Tit in Hiding!

 

Friendly Robin at Anglesey Abbey

On the 27th there was a small mixed flock of blue tits and long-tailed tits in the hedgerow across the road from our garden, and there were collared doves back in the garden on the 29th. On the last day of the month the garden was visited by starlings, sparrows, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks and blackbirds.

 

This November has been, for much of the time, exceptionally mild in our patch on the Essex/Herts border, with plenty of sunny days. For once it hasn’t lived up to its dismal reputation as immortalised in the poem by Thomas Hood:

 

No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -
November!

In fact, I think that Thomas Hood was proved completely wrong this November!

Autumn Sunset