Crocus and Commas

At long last five days of constant sunshine with a maximum temperature of 27°C which is a local record for the 1st October.

There has been a massive increase in the number of butterflies with nine Commas,seven Small Tortoiseshell, three Speckled Woods, three Red Admiral and two Small Copper on Hopwood but strangely enough no Peacock Butterflies yet. Autumn Crocus have flowered well and the first migrant Snipe were feeding along the stream on the 1st. As would have been expected all the Swallows and Martins have now moved South in the exceptional weather.

Flying over the garden one day were three Kestrels, all heading South and only yards apart. Were they a family party on the move? Totally confused by the weather was a Chiff Chaff in full song on the 29th September!

Last Sunday was a sad day for wildlife photography with the passing of Gordon Langsbury. I had been speaking to him only two days before his death and as always he was enthusiastic about his next book on Hebridean Wildlife. A month earlier I had helped him arrange a cruise around Spitsbergen to celebrate his 80th birthday. He will now be there in spirit only next year.