Welcome to the new design of the RSPB Community pages. It certainly looks a bit different. With the work now completed, we're able to start posting again, so here's this week's slightly belated entry for our species of the week series.
Having featured the bittern for the second time last week, I can't really feature them again, but they are still performing to all comers at Island Mere, as this photo, taken on Saturday, shows. I love the way they arch their necks and point their eyes downwards so help them to locate their fish.
While down at Island Mere with my family on Saturday, we took the opportunity to go underneath the hide with the big lens photographers and digiscopers so that I could introduce Thomas to the techniques of low angle photography. Sure enough, he got dirty knees and bottom from sitting and kneeling in the mud, but unfortunately the bittern decided to wander off at that point. Nonetheless, I took advantage of the location to take a photo showing a bittern's eye view of the reedbed. Strictly speaking it's probably more of a water rail's view as I had the camera almost on the ground, but I think it still gives a whole new perspective to the Island Mere view.
Of course, bitterns aren't the only attraction at Island Mere. Otters have been seen fishing in the same ditch, as have grey herons, while up to 70 cormorants and a couple of little grebes add to the fishing fiesta. Marsh harriers, kestrels, sparrowhawks and buzzards can all be seen, a Cetti's warbler is often singing, and the bearded tits can be heard pinging if you are patient enough.
That's enough of bitterns for today's blog, though, as for this week's featured species we head to the woods. Is there a better place to enjoy the beauty of autumn than a stroll in a woodland, surrounded by rich gold, yellow and brown leaves as you kick your way through a deep carpet of fallen leaves?
While some trees, notably field maple and birch, have already lost most of their leaves, and the oaks stubbornly cling to their still green-tinged foliage, others are at that perfect stage of retaining a cloak of gold or russet whilst also adding to the deepening leaf litter below them. Two such species take centre stage right now: beech and sweet chestnut.
Both have similarities, whilst also being strikingly different. Both have lovely golden-brown leaves in autumn and spiky cases enclosing their hard, nut-like seeds. Both are also non-native in the UK, but now widely established and common across much of southern England. Sweet chestnut has large serrated leaves and deep grooved bark, while beech leaves are smooth and shiny and the bark is smooth and grey.
Whether walking along the Woodland Trail, or through South Belt on the way to Island Mere, take the time to look among the fallen leaves for the fallen fruits and nuts that will sustain hungry grey squirrels, mice and jays through the winter, or germinate into the woodland giants of the future. With luck you may also spot a few fungi, such as this jelly-ear fungus that i spotted on Saturday.
Whilst walking through the woods, you'll almost certainly encounter a roving flock of small birds twittering and chattering to each other as they search for food. These flocks will be likely to include marsh, coal, blue, great and long-tailed tits, tiny goldcrests, perhaps a treecreeper or two and finches such as chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, siskin, or even brambling. Then, of course, there's always the chance of a jay, green or great spotted woodpecker, grey squirrel or red deer for a bit more variety.
Away from the woods and reedbed, you are guaranteed to see good numbers of birds from any of the hides overlooking the Scrape. During our monthly Wetland Bird Survey counts (WeBS) at the weekend our volunteers and wardens counted more than 1400 teals, as well as 400+ wigeons, 200+ gadwalls, 150+ shovelers and 39 shelducks. It might take a bit more effort to find the four pintails! Among this throng you may also spot four avocets, a dozen or so black-tailed godwits, one or two snipe and dunlins and a few lapwings. There's often a gathering of gulls on South Scrape, especially from late afternoon, and alongside the black-headed, herring, great and lesser black-backed gulls you might manage to pick out a Caspian or yellow-legged gull or two. The latter two species can be tricky without the help of experienced gull watchers, though.
Finally, don't be surprised if you see a few late insects enjoying this lovely autumn sunshine. On Monday morning I saw a red admiral butterfly, several marmalade hoverflies and at least 20 common darter dragonflies along the North Wall, for example.
With so much wonderful wildlife to spot, my personal highlight of the week so far was the chance to photograph one of my favourite birds - a kestrel - as it hung in the updraft on a breezy Whin Hill at lunchtime today.