Autumn in the Itchen Valley

After so many dull, but mild days, this morning we awoke to a bright sky and much lower temperature (7 C after 14 C yesterday).  We joined friends from our local RSPB group for  a circular walk in the  Itchen valley from the village of Avington, via Itchen Abbas ( a few miles from Winchester). Over the valley we saw a lot of raptors: Buzzards, Red Kites, a Kestrel  and a Sparrowhawk, as well as a Raven. In the hedgerow we spotted some newly arrived Redwings, and on the river Itchen some Gadwall ducks, a Little  Grebe, Grey Wagtail, and  Swans.         

My main picture was taken very close to where the first Viscount  of Falloden (Sir Edward Grey), the  Foreign  Secretary from 1905-1916, had a little weekend cottage. He was a keen ornithologist and, in June  1909, famously took  fellow bird watcher, the  American President, Teddy Roosevelt, on a similar walk  to the one we took today. 
They  spotted a lot more species than can be found there today, but it is still a lovely walk, and it was really great to find some sunshine at last.