October nature notes

Birds

The  great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) have started to return to the garden. Both males and females have been seen feeding on the suet.
Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) are on the increase with up to four on the Niger seeds at one time. However I did spot ten of them on a telephone wire near B.

A tawny owl (Strix aluco) can sometimes be heard during the night calling from the chestnut tree.
On the down side there was a dead barn owl (Tyto alba) on the road verge between Buckles Inn and Bilbrough services.

Bird on a wire..........

Mammals

We still have evidence of hedgehogs (Erinaceous europaeus) in the back garden. Judging by the amount of droppings there must be quite a few or at least one very incontinent one.

 There was only one sighting of a stoat (Mustela erminea) in the garden this month, although I did see one on the way to work. That is I was on the way to work not the stoat.
There was a dead badger (Meles meles) on the A64 near the race course.

Insects

Fox moth caterpillar in Scotland at Yellow Craig. Time to hibernate.