September and October 2011 Harlequin Ladybird larva 22 Oct Plenty of invertebrate activity in the sunshine this morning - a Red Admiral at St Andrews Park and another at Station Road, a Harlequin Ladybird larva and a Green Shieldbug at Fairlawn Road. Hoverflies included several Eristalis species around the patch, a Syrphus species at Station Road and an Episyrphus balteatus at St Andrews Park. Plenty of Honey Bees at the station. The only birds of note were a Goldcrest showing well at St Andrews Park and a Coal Tit also nearby. Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch overhead at Fairlawn Road. Green Shield Bug 19 Oct Spectacular stuff this morning at Narroways from 10 to 11.30: A female Bullfinch at the new barn (or is it old barn?) site, 3 Jays (Lynmouth Road/Hill/Cutting), 2 Jackdaws over the hill, 2 Coal Tits (bottom of Church field and stony path) 15 Long-tailed Tits (stony path) many Great and Blue Tits everywhere, 5 Magpies mainly around the cutting plus a couple of Wrens and Robins at various places. A couple of Herring Gulls drifting over. A Fox the other side of the railings at the railway end of the cutting (looked rather mangey). Overhead migration mainly from the other side of the bridge over the main railway: 1 Yellowhammer (unmistakable call). 2 Siskins 1 Redpoll2 Skylarks1 Pied Wagtail10+ Woodpigeon Several Chaffinches2 Goldfinches An Eristalis pertinax hoverfly ('Dronefly') at Lynmouth Road allotments. In Montpelier, just 4 Starlings over St Andrews Road of note. 16 Oct The monthly bird walk at St Andrews Park was rather uneventfl but the beautiful weather was a real bonus. The lis is as follows:   Jay - one flew over the pond Carrion Crow - one ot two feeding on the grass Magpie - several birds seen Great Tit - quite a few around, calling and showing well Blue Tit - at least one among the Great Tits Coal Tit - two near the meadow/pond area Woodpigeon - a few seen Pied Wagtail - one flew over near the bowling green Robin - a few seen and heard Blackbird - surprisingly elusive, with just one near the pond Chaffinch - one flew over near the pond Goldfinch - a couple seen flying over Lesser Black-backed Gull - one drifting overhead Wren - one calling and seen briefly near the bowling green Dunnock - one gave good views near the bowling green Elsewhere, there were 3 Speckled Woods and a Jay at the railway path. 15 Oct A flock of 10 Jackdaws and over Hurlingham Road this morning and a distant flock of no less than 80 Woodpigeons flying east, plus a Sparrowhawk, a Pied Wagtail, a couple of Chaffinches and a Goldfinch overhead. A Jay flew over Richmond Road. 14 Oct Very quiet at St Pauls Park this morning, just a few Great and Blue Tits, a Robin and a Wren. 13 Oct The station produced a Starling, fly-over Pied Wagtail, a couple of Dunnocks, a Wren, 3 Blackbirds, 2 Great Tits and a Chiffchaff. 12 Oct Cracking views of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker in the dead tree at the station but i didn't have my camera with me! Nightmare! Also a Jackdaw and a Pied Wagtail overhead, an influx of several Blackbirds, some House Sparrows, a few Chaffinches and Greenfinches plus Long-tailed Tits calling at the top of station Road. A Chiffchaff calling in Richmond Road first thing. Red Admiral 8 Oct A Siskin over Hurlingham Road this morning and a Jay and Chiffchaff nearby. A Red Admiral in the garden again. 7 Oct An impressive count of about 40 Pied Wagtails in Portland Square this evening, flying around the roofs, probably prior to roosting at Cabot Circus - spectacular! A Jay, a Goldfinch, a Chiffchaff, several Greenfinches and a gaggle of House Sparrows were at the station this morning. 4 Oct Yet another Chiffchaff in Montpelier Park this morning, showing well and sharing a tree with a Great Tit. Another of these ubiquitous warblers at the station plus a fly-over Pied Wagtail and a couple of Greenfinches. A mystery bird was sat on the TV mast along Station Road but too far away to identify - a smallish passerine, possibly a pipit species. 3 Oct The Montpelier Chiffchaff fest continued with one singing in a tree in Richmond Road this morning and up to 2 birds at the station. A fly-over Pied Wagtail was also noted at the station along with a Grey Squirrel running along the footbridge. . 2 Oct A lunchtime stroll around the patch revealed 2 Chiffchaffs at Fairlawn Road - one singing occasionally - but not alot more in terms of birds. There were plenty of Honey Bees, Syrphus and Eristalis hoverflies feeding on the ivy-covered wall along St Andrews Road, and a Red Admiral spent the day in the garden around the ivy. Very little at the station apart from a Greenfinch or two. There's a very worn moth in the flat that is barely recognisable as anything, although the orangey underwing suggests a very washed-out Copper Underwing. Juvenile Herring Gull 30 Sep This morning in St Pauls Park there was a confiding Chiffchaff, a fly-over Grey Wagtail, a Pied Wagtail, a juvenile Herring Gull, a Wren, a Great Tit and several Goldfinches. 29 Sep In Montpelier Park there was a calling Chiffchaff and a fly-over Siskin, and nearby at the station another Siskin was heard plus a fly-over Pied Wagtail and Jackdaw. A Chiffchaff showed briefly in the Buddleia near the footbridge and other birds seen and heard included Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, House Sparrow and Blackbird. 28 Sep Surprisingly little to report despite a warm sunny morning. Jays were calling at Fairlawn Road along with a Coal Tit. At St Andrews Park I counted no less than 4 Speckled Woods and another Jay was heard. Double-striped Pug 27 Sep A Siskin and 3 Pied Wagtails over the station this morning - typical birds at this time of year with the autumn migration under way. Also the Chiffchaff, Greenfinches and Chaffinches in evidence. Nothing of note at Montpelier Park despite searching. A couple of moths in the flat last night - a Double-striped Pug and a Lesser Yellow Underwing, plus a Soldier Fly Sargus bipunctatus - my first ever. Sargus bipunctatus Lesser Yellow Underwing 26 Sep A nice collection of birds at the station this morning, with 2 Ravens being the main attraction plus a singing Chiffchaff, a Coal Tit, up to 3 Jays, a couple of Chaffinches, some singing Great Tits, 4 Blue Tits, 3 Robins and, best of all, no less than 30 House Sparrows centred on the allotment gardens. A Grey Squirrel also showed well. Additional news from yesterday was a Garden Carpet moth in the flat - it flew into the oven during the day and it was a good job I saw it or it might have become part of the evening meal! Mystery Fungus 25 Sep Three toadstools at Narroways today which I can't identify, also a Pisaura mirabilis spider, several Harlequin Ladybirds, a calling Chiffchaff and a Jay. Common Restharrow was still in flower in the cutting. At Fairlawn Road there was a Dock Leaf Bug, a Coal Tit, a Chiffchaff and a Blackbird in song - the latter quite unusual at this time of year. Nearby, 3 Speckled Woods at the railway path. At Station Road a Sparrowhawk soared overhead near the Royal Mail Offices, heading towards the station. In the garden this morning were 5 Long-tailed Tits. a Chiffchaff and some Great Tits.   Pisaura mirabilis Feverfew 24 Sep A frustrating moment near Hurlingham Road this morning when I saw a medium to large raptor flying away from me towards St Werburghs - as I got onto it too late I was unable to ID it but it could have been anything from a female Sparrowhawk to a Buzzard. Ah well... Nearby a Chiffchaff still calling and some Long-tailed Tits at the top of St Andrews Road. Along the railway path were 7 or 8 Harlequin Ladybirds, 2 Speckled Woods and a Sawfly species (sadly the photo I took of it was not good enough to ID it). A Feverfew plant in flower along the path. Another Chiffchaff at the station plus 1 or 2 Large White butterflies there. At least 2 Chiffchaffs calling from gardens in Richmond Road too. 23 Sep Birds are definitely on the move - 2 Swallows flew south over the station this morning. Also at the station was a Grey Squirrel and the usual Chiffchaff, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. 22 Sep I heard my first Siskin of the autumn calling overhead this morning as I let the cat in - a taste of things to come! The usual stuff at the station including the Chiffchaff calling and good views of Chaffinch and Greenfinch as one of each was sat in a dead tree. Lots of Robin song too - at least three birds giving it some welly. 21 Sep A Chiffchaff in Station Road, a Coal Tit singing in Montpelier Park, 4 Goldfinches over the station along with 4 Greenfinches, a Dunnock, Blue and Great Tits, 2 Chaffinches and several House Sparrows also at the station. 18 Sep It might have been the weather or just bad luck but the bird list for today's St Andrews Park bird walk was the lowest in the illustrious history of the event. Never mind, we did make the most of what the park has to offer in broader wildlife terms including some interesting Ash galls pointed out by Jo and Simon. These are caused by the eriophyid mite Aceria fraxinivorus which is apparently very common. We also saw Grey Squirrels and a Common Carder Bee. The bird list is as follows: Magpie - quite a few around Blue Tit - in mixed tit flocks Great Tit - heard and seen well Coal Tit - I reckon at least 3 birds Long-tailed Tit - 1 heard very briefly Blackbird - 4 or 5 birds, some showing signs of moult Mistle Thrush - one showed well at the top of a tree Carrion Crow - several birds seen and heard Robin - a good showing for this species as they set up their autumn territories Goldfinch - small groups occasionally flying over Woodpigeon - several birds feeding on the grass or sitting in trees Myathropa florea 17 Sep A couple of Myathropa florea hoverflies at the wooded end of Fairlawn Road this afternoon and a Chiffchaff calling nearby. At the station 2 Large White butterflies and the usual Chaffinches, House Sparrows and Greenfinches. 16 Sep A Raven high over Richmond Road at 6.30 this evening, calling. Not much at St Pauls Cemetery this morning other than a few Blue Tits, a Coal Tit and 3 Herring Gulls. 15 Sep The highlight at the station this morning was a Sparrowhawk flying into the trees near the tunnel, plus a Jay and a Magpie on the platform, the usual Greenfinches, Chaffinches and House Sparrows and at least 1 calling Chiffchaff again. 14 Sep Parklife this morning: Montpelier Park: 1 Chiffchaff, a Jay flying over, a couple of Great Tits and a Robin. St Pauls Park: Yet another Chiffchaff, a Blue Tit, a Wren plus 8 or 9 Harlequin Ladybirds, a Speckled Wood, a Syrphus hoverfly and a few Green Shieldbugs. 13 Sep A Chiffchaff giving good views and calling at the station this morning, along with half a dozen Chaffinches and as many Greenfinches. 11 Sep Two Ravens flew low over Ninetree Hill towards Stokes Croft and Ashley Road this evening, calling. They did a few somersaults as they flew. Not much to report at Fairlawn Road this morning other than 2 Jays, 3 Speckled Woods, a couple of Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus, some Harlequin Ladybirds, many Green Shieldbugs and just 1 Dock Leaf Bug. Speckled Wood 10 Sep In St Andrews Park this morning was a Jay, a couple of Coal Tits, a Speckled Wood butterfly and lots of Common Inkcap mushrooms. There were both Large and Small White butterflies at the station and a calling Chiffchaff. In the flat last night was a Willow Beauty moth. Common Inkcaps Willow Beauty 8 Sep A tale of two parks this morning - at Montpelier Park there was some spectacular stuff from at least 3 Chiffchaffs feeding in bushes near the new games surface, one briefly perching on the wire fence for several seconds. There were up to 6 Blackbirds on show too plus a couple of Robins, 2 Wrens, 3 Woodpigeons and a party of Great and Long-tailed Tits. On the other hand, St Pauls Park was uncharacteristically quiet, with just a juvenile Herring Gull and some Blue Tits of note. A Woodlouse sp. was in my bath this morning. 7 Sep One, possibly two Chiffchaffs this morning between the top of Station Road and the station itself, and very flighty. Also the mixed flock of Greenfinches and Chaffinches in evidence again plus a single Starling. A Grey Squirrel was in Montpelier Park. Eristalis pertinax 3 Sep At Narroways there was a Chiffchaff, a party of Long-tailed Tits and 2 Jays plus a few Harlequin Ladybirds, a Tenthredo sp Sawfly and a couple of Green Shieldbugs. Several Slow-worms were under a piece of corrugated iron. Along Fairlawn Road was another Chiffchaff and an Eristalis pertinax hoverfly.  Tenthredo sp. Sawfly Hawthorn Shieldbug 2 Sep Two new invertebrates for the patch last night in the flat - a Hawthorn Shieldbug and a Garden Pebble moth - hurrah! Also attracted to the light were a couple of Copper Underwings, a Square-spot Rustic and a Small Dusty Wave. At the station this morning a Chiffchaff was showing well in the large pine, also a couple of Starlings and Greenfinches and the flock of House Sparrows. Garden Pebble Robin 1 Sep Another Chiffchaff this morning this time at St Pauls Park and in full song - another migrant. Also a fly-over Grey Wagtail, a confiding Robin and Wren, Great and Blue Tits and 5 Blackbirds. Several Harlequin Ladybirds were on the shrubbery. This evening, some Pipistrelle activity outside the flat at 8.25.

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	All photos and text by Des Bowring unless indicated otherwise.