Autumn is well and truly here now, the days are drawing shorter, the leaves are steadily falling from the trees and the temperature is dropping. At Moor Green Lakes, Berkshire, the ground is littered with acorns, it appears to have been a very good year for them. A few weeks ago, the bramble bushes were covered in fruit but are now long past their best. On the birding front most of the summer visitors have now departed for warmer climes. My last SWALLOW sighting was on the 3rd October, a WHEATEAR and WHINCHAT on the 8th, whilst HOBBY was seen on most days during the first week of the month, tacking advantage of the dragonflies that were still about. As they have left, the winter visitors have started to arrive, REDWING, FIELDFARE, SHOVELER, WIGEON and POCHARD have all been seen. On the 1st, a JACK SNIPE was at the New Workings, Moor Green Lakes, which stayed for several days. A really special bird for me arrived on the 11th in the shape of a juvenile MERLIN, which flew low across the new workings and settled on a fence post at West Fen, where it spent the next twenty minutes or so preening itself before flying off, heading south east. The day was clear and sunny so I had really good views of the bird, which was an absolute stunner, unfortunately it was too far away for my camera lens for a decent photo.
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