Here's the latest newsletter content:​

BIRDS

• The unexpected. Two White Storks high over the village on the 6th, and a Nightjar on the ground on a track at Hillyfield on the evening of the 15th.

• Avon Dam. No roosting Goosanders until two on the 28th. Single Little Grebe and Grey Heron and up to five Teal, but no more than three Mallard.

• Autumn migrants. A poor autumn, with no reports of the usual Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts or Whinchats and only small numbers of Swallows. Chiffchaffs were more widespread. There were about 50 House Martins around Aish on the 7th, but these could just about have comprised the six pairs that bred there, and their progeny. There was a Hobby over Hillside on the 6th, and three Wheatears on Brent Hill on 3rd.

• Garden birds. Several reports of low numbers, but this tends to happen in autumn, when an abundance of natural food makes garden feeders less attractive. Some species also keep a low profile during autumn moult. Marsh Tits are only an occasional visitor to most gardens, but they continue to be regular at Pennaton. Regular up to mid-month, Bullfinches and Siskins eventually disappeared from feeders at Moorland Park (hopefully nothing to do with several sightings of a Sparrowhawk).

NON-BIRDS

• Moths. Highlights were Rosy Underwing and Beautiful Marbled at Pennaton, respectively the 5th and 9th records for Devon.

• Mammals. Up to three Hedgehogs in a Hillside garden, caught by trail camera, were clearly more welcome than the much larger number of Brown Rats at Clobells.

ISSUES

• Rhododendron clearance at Shipley. The South West Lakes Trust trial of the lever and mulch technique began on the 23rd, after the first attempt in June (during the bird breeding season!) was sensibly aborted. It is not clear whether complete eradication is either possible or desirable. Rhododendrons are used by some species of bird for nesting and roosting − and some people like them too! And what will replace them? More bracken?

• Woodland Creation and Market Garden Project at Palstone. The emphasis is on tree planting, though none have been planted to date, and there appear to be no plans for the creation of a wetland, which would probably attract more interesting birds than yet more trees.

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Thanks to Phil Dean, Mike Goss, Doug King Smith, Dave MacDiarmid and South Brent Birders Facebook page for additional information. Please submit any interesting records for October by the end of the month.