Shades of Autumn

               On balance, I am very fond of Autumn. We often get particularly  mild conditions now and the changing of the season towards Winter brings with it new wildlife sightings and new colours in the wood. This has been a pretty mild Autumn so far and the trees have kept their leaves for a long time. Normally, colder conditions further north would have blown in the winter thrushes - Redwings and Fieldfares - from Scandinavia, but not so far this year and bird life in the wood has been pretty quiet.

              I often arrive at the South Gate to the woodland and spot a Buzzard sitting on its favourite perch on one of the electricity pylons that stretch across the fields. Once this week there was a different looking bird there - one with a lot of white showing and a distinctive black face mask. It was a Peregrine Falcon. I have seen one hunting over the wood before today but not for a long time so it was a special moment. It sat there for some time and even though distant it knew I was watching it. Peregrines will readily catch a fat pigeon and the wood certainly has plenty of them. The bird was in no hurry to go for lunch, perhaps savouring the blue sky above, the Autumn colours and warm airs, like me, or, more likely, waiting for the right pigeon to appear.

Chestnut time

the Peregrine Falcon.....

......just biding its time.