Autumnal fare

Family time has kept me busy over the last few weeks but now, sadly, my daughter, son in law and granddaughter have now returned to Australia. The garden has been the focus of attention whilst they were all here with some fine weather meaning we at last could enjoy a barbecue or two.

Even whilst in the throes of cooking on an open charcoal barbecue the local wildlife gets noted and a pair of Ravens made an appearance in the middle of the week followed by the local Buzzards with one of their crying youngsters. The warm weather seems to have brought out a last rush of butterflies with Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell now frequenting the Budhleia which until now had been virtually devoid of any butterfly life.

There's a real autumnal nip to the air in the mornings and the first Meadow Pipits have been passing overhead at first light whilst the occasional grounded Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler has been calling from the willows around the local pond.

A Greenish Warbler found on the Great Orme earlier in the week didn't stay long enough and by the time I'd got there it had disappeared along with a lot of the other warblers grounded in the early morning rain. A fantastic local bird and one we've been long expecting on the Wirral. I spent a pleasant couple of hours on the Orme and was pleased to see at least 4 Chough whilst there.

A trips with the SCAN wader ringing group on Sunday didn't result in any waders being caught but it was still and enjoy day out on the N Wales coast sitting in the Landrover watching the wader fly past as the tide came in.

Here's a few more local insects....................