Location: Bourley Woods
Activity: Woodland walk and wildlife observations
Species Encountered: Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum), Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) and Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Today we went for a walk through Bourley Woods. It was surprisingly mild for late September, reaching around 24°C, it didn’t really feel like autumn, most of the trees still had their leaves and it was still very dry.

There weren’t that many mushrooms. I wondered whether this might be linked to the woodland being dominated by pine, although fungi can still be very common in coniferous woodland, so it may simply be down to the recent weather and conditions.

There was still lots to see. A little Eurasian Wren was making a huge fuss in the bracken, which always amazes me considering how tiny they are. On the lakes, I spotted two Little Grebes and loads of Common Darters around the woodland and water.

I also saw a few Speckled Wood butterflies and a Great Spotted Woodpecker during the walk.

It was a lovely walk and I really enjoyed simply taking my time, looking around and seeing what was still active as we move further into autumn.

Photographs