First frost and fieldfares

Having the day off work, and the morning being so glorious, a walk across the boardwalk seemed essential. It had been cold overnight, and the first frost of the season was still lying on the shaded sections of the boardwalk. Not much wildlife to report, but I did find a female reed bunting on the reedbed. Walking down Bradfield Road my attention was drawn to what sounded like a duck in the undergrowth, but it turned out to be a couple of cock pheasants having a set-to.

As I was taking a look at Scouts' Pond, which was slightly fuller as a result of yesterday's rain, a flock of about 20 fieldfares flew overhead. These were my first for the season, and all the more satisfying for that.

Summer clinging on

It was no doubt a beautiful early morning, following a cold clear night. However, the desperate desire for a lie-in, and a rugby world cup semi-final to watch, prevented me from virtuously enjoying it. Nonetheless, when I finally did surface, it was gorgeous: warm and bright, but lacking the summer's humidity. Although the leaves on my lawn  proclaim it really is autumn, today we were back to summer, and there were still some summer creatures on view. I found a few dragonflies, including this ruddy darter at Scouts' Pond, and plenty of mosquitoes found me.

On School Common there was the usual crop of puffballs, but this year even better than last.

No doubt we are in the middle of the autumn influx of finches and thrushes, but I wasn't able to find any concrete evidence of them. There was a flock of finches making quite a racket in the trees near the main car park for the common, but try as I might I couldn't see a single bird - most frustrating! I wondered if I might find a redwing, but neither sight nor sound came my way.

Meanwhile, back at the Beck, the bright sun filtering through the becoming-brittle leaves and lighting up the stream seemed worth a snap.

Not too hot for deer

In this unseasonably hot weather I didn't expect to find much on the common this morning, but there was a jay around, presumably busily gathering acorns for its winter cache. It posed prominently enough for a long-distance snap, which does at least show off its beautiful blue wing bars.

A few yards further on I spotted a Chinese Water deer in amongst the short reeds in the area best known for its orchids and cotton grass. Fortunately the orchid flowers are long past for the season, so the deer wasn't eating those.It was clearly aware of me, and was frozen still. After a while it realised it had to get away, so slowly slunk off. In no time it had disappeared, but not before I'd got a few pictures, showing its diagnostic kangaroo-like ears.