31st Oct - Foggy start, becoming sunny and very warm, 17C, very light SW/Still

An incredibly mild, mostly sunny day which is most rare for the last day of October.  Jackdaws and Starling were having a great time hawking insects over the village.

I popped in to Frolesworth manor lake this morning.  At the game cover a number of finches and buntings were present and their numbers will build as winter progresses, also several Tree Sparrow were present.  On the neighbouring field were c75 Lapwing.  Very little was on the lake, it contains a very small island which has been taken over by a large blackberry bush, right at the top of this was a Moorhen eating ripe blackberries, I managed a (poor due to the light) photo before it dropped in to the bush.

  The afternoon saw a trip to Brandon Marsh.  There was plenty of Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and Gadwall, a single drake Goldeneye and Great-crested Grebe on the east marsh.  A Little Grebe from the Carlton hide and at the bottom hide a Green Sandpiper was heard calling in flight.  A Grey Heron flew in and settled.

In the trees six+ Stock Doves were sitting, a Kestrel settled on the marsh post for a while.  Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest and Treecreeper were heard, then a Chiffchaff heard calling in the willows.  A great-spotted Woodpecker flew over and several Fieldfare and Redwings were seen.  Water Rail called from the reeds in a couple of places and a Cetti's Warbler burst in to song.

Next to one path there was an old (Ash) stump that had a fantastic grouping of different fungi on it.  I've not identified them yet, but they looked great and can be appreciated as is.

Another fungus was spotted along the path.

The autumn colours could be appreciated today as the sunny made them stand out, here is a view across Brandon marsh reed bed.  I did see a butterfly going away from me, possibly a Small tortoiseshell.

Finally, back at the village at 1725h (nearly dark now we have put the clocks back) a Tawny Owl flew on to the church roof cross and called a few times, another answered it, before flying off.