Christine's walking & birds blog

A redstart was reported at the lake yesterday but there was no sign of it on this busy morning with a triathlon about to take place. Still - good news that there's been one! That's the fourth year running for autumn redstarts at Dorney Lake.

One of the plantations held two male blackcaps and one female, while further along in the hedgerow were two more blackcaps (one male, one female), several chiffchaffs (one in song), and a sleek and beautiful lesser whitethroat.

Out on the common, quite close to the road, I flushed a snipe from the edge of the stream. It was my first of the autumn - a reflection which, along with the wind, made me feel quite chilly.