October 2025 Wildlife Update
October has brought lots of exciting bird sightings, with many species migrating or arriving to spend the winter with us.
Avian highlights
- Greater Scaup – only stayed around for a day, but a very nice record for Ferry Meadows
- Yellow Browed Warbler – 2 individuals hung around for a couple of days around Ham Lane and Lakeside
- Crossbill – a passing record, but a record none the less!
- Red Crested Pochard – one individual has been hanging around Overton Lake for most of the last month
- Common Pochard – once a common winter migrant, numbers seem to have declined everywhere
- Whooper Swan – mostly passing over, but hopefully some will stop in too!
- Redwing
- Fieldfare
- Goosander
- Great White Egret – a species we often seen in the park especially in the winter, but one has been showing particularly well on Lynch Lake in the last week
Other highlights
- Noctule bat – a number were seen feeding early morning around Lakeside
- Bee Orchid – leaf whorls appearing (before the rabbits munch them)
- Fungi – it is a great time for fungi spotting at the moment, but look don’t touch is a good motto! Candlesnuff fungus is a nice one, often seen on dead logs (around the woods behind Badger Play is often a good spot), Shaggy Inkcap is another favourite of mine to look out for.
- Lynch Plantation – with the trees all changing, get out for a wander and enjoy the last pop of colour before winter (and a bit of daylight too).
