Sunrise 06.52 Sunset 16.52 GMT

Autumn is here with vengeance rain and blustery winds and warnings of damaging gales and rain for tonight into Monday morning. It is still mild though which helps with the heating bill! The River Stour is running high although not flooding at the moment. The clocks went back overnight so we will be into dark nights by the fire!

I am perplexed I had to go into town recently just before dusk and as I drove over Hayward’s bridge I am almost 100% sure I saw a Swift, they left for Africa before the Swallows and Martins so whether it was a very late one I’m not sure! I looked to see if it could have been some sort of hawk but couldn’t find anything similar in my bird book. The Cormorants have returned to patrol the river, I thought I saw a couple yesterday and then saw one this afternoon when I was down in the fields, it’s the first time I’ve seen them since the spring. I also spotted the Kingfisher from the footbridge, he was in the Willow trees along the bank and flew out when I got on the bridge. The ditches and gullies around the river and Mill Ham island are filling up now so there should be more places to look for small fish when the river is running high.

Some of the smaller birds are now gathering into flocks, quite often I walk down the lane with the little Long tailed tits flitting from bush to bush down the lane with me.