This page was updated on Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 11:18:27 GMT

Autumn Ramble - Sunday 1st October 2023

This year's Autumn Ramble was held on Sunday, October 1st 2023, and it was led by Martin Singleton, a local naturalist and a member of the Wickford Woldlife Society.

Please scroll down to see a list of the sightings, some comments from Martin, and a link to a 'Photo Gallery' of the day.

Birds - 15 Species:

Common Name Scientific Name Date Total Count Comments
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 01/10/2023 10
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 01/10/2023 3
Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti 01/10/2023 1 Heard only
Common Blackbird Turdus merula 01/10/2023 2
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 01/10/2023 2
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 01/10/2023 1
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 01/10/2023 10
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 01/10/2023 12
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 01/10/2023 1 Heard only
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica 01/10/2023 6
European Greenfinch Chloris chloris 01/10/2023 2
European Robin Erithacus rubecula 01/10/2023 6 Heard only
Great Tit Parus major 01/10/2023 1
House Sparrow Passer domesticus 01/10/2023 6
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 01/10/2023 7


Butterflies - 2 Species:

Common Name Scientific Name Date Total Count Comments
Large White Pieris brassicae 01/10/2023 2
Small White Artogeia rapae 01/10/2023 6


Dragonflies - 2 Species:

Common Name Scientific Name Date Total Count Comments
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum 01/10/2023 1
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta 01/10/2023 2

Martin writes:


The Common Lizard in particular was good to see - I think it is the first one I have seen in the park. The Common Darter dragonfly was also interesting - I guessed this was a Common Darter, despite being an unusual colour, and checking back home, I found out that this was an "over-mature" female. It seems that post-breeding, colouring darkens for some dragonfly species as they age and that is what we have seen here with this specimen.

Photo Gallery


Photos of the lizard and its scaling, plus the dragonfly can be seen via the link here (kindly provided by Martin Singleton): WCP Autumn Ramble 0110 23