I am writing this on Remembrance Sunday, nearly half of November has passed, it's a sunny and warm day with some trees still retaining their leaves and many that have already shed them.  Trees started losing their leaves early when the late summer drought period was still affecting soil moisture.  It looked as if we would have little or no autumn tree colour this year.  Luckily we had sufficient rain and we ended up with some glorious colours in our hedges and woodlands.  The maples, hawthorns and especially the oaks have given a marvellous show.  We lack native trees that give the bright reds that are so spectacular in other countries but the dogwoods have added a splash of subdued red in the hedges.  The pessimists are already saying we will suffer for this warm spell.  I suspect the long term forecasters of our weather probably use this theory when suggesting we are going to have a severe winter.  I may regret saying that if there is a covering of snow when this magazine is delivered.

Phil Monk on 24/10 had a Mistle Thrush drinking from his pond and on 25/10 his first Redwing of the year in the garden.  The latter must have heard of our warm autumn.  On 3/11 during heavy rain Phil heard a tap on the back door and thinking it was their cat opened the door and on the step was a Common Frog. The frog immediately hopped into the kitchen and then moved onto the comfort of the lounge.  The Frog eluded capture for some time as he was wet and slippery but Phil eventually caught him and returned it to the garden pond.  As frogs can breathe through their skin they can hibernate for long periods in the mud below water.
John Taylor, School Road 26/10, found a small group of 17 Harlequin ladybirds beginning hibernation in the back lobby.  When Syl and I surveyed churches two and three years ago we used to find Harlequins in swarms of several thousand but last year and this year we have found only small numbers.  Perhaps the Harlequin which was forecast to decimate our native ladybirds has met its match and some factor has caused its numbers to decline.

Lynne Sculley, Shalford Road, watched eight Fallow deer emerge from the copse in the field to the north of Shalford Road.  There have been few sightings of deer this summer in the Parish but there have been tracks indicating that they have passed through the village.  Previously Lynne had seen a Buzzard in the same area alight on the ground and then fly up into the trees of the same copse.
On 7/11 I had two reports which were encouraging; they were both sightings of Hedgehogs.  This is a species that was very common in Rayne but predation almost certainly by badgers has seen their numbers decrease over the last 10 to 15 years as badger numbers have increased.  Andrew Goodey, saw one along Station Road in the evening and the groundsmen Andy and Phil, while working along the Barrack Yard footpath watched one walking towards them.  They fed it some worms and it eventually disappeared into one of the nearby gardens.  It may have been the same hedgehog walking round the Parish.  The latter was probably a late brood juvenile trying to build up its fat reserves before going into hibernation as Hedgehogs are rarely active during the day.

Diane Cuddeford, 8/11, together with her son saw a bird eating prey surrounded by the feathers of a dove or pigeon on her lawn.  It flew off with its prey but returned to a neighbouring the Oak tree.  One would immediately assume this was another Sparrow hawk kill, but Diane identified the bird as a Hobby.  Later in the afternoon Diane's son identified the same or similar bird chasing after a pigeon over the Shalford Road allotments.  Hobbys are seen in the village but nationally are not common.  They catch their prey in the air and usually feed on insects when available and small birds.  They are very fast and can catch Swallows, Martins and even Swifts.  They eat insects on the wing but obviously have to eat larger prey on the ground. Andy Vodden saw a flock of about 30 Lapwings on grassland by Leez priory at the end of October, this has become a less common sight as large flocks used to be common sights on the arable land around Rayne.

I was digging in the vegetable garden when I heard Rooks giving out their alarm call (it's one of the few bird sounds I can hear).  About a minute later I saw the reason, a very high flying Sparrow Hawk lazily drifting over the village probably looking for a good bird feeding area to hunt.  Its surprising that a bird the size of a Rook would be troubled by the presence of a small raptor, though they do take much larger prey when desperate for food.  Most birds will react to the presence of raptors either mobbing them, disappearing into the nearest bush or like the Rooks sending out alarm calls.
On the 2/11 just as it was getting light two enormous flocks of pigeon passed over the village flying from the northeast.  I am glad to say they continued flying as they were possibly the first of the migrant pigeon flocks to arrive here from the continent.  Our own pigeons have not yet flocked together as they do when food supplies become short.

Roger Jiggins Tel. 01376 324 311, email mailto:r.jiggins@btconnect.com  (please put Wildlife as the subject)