Bumbarrrel and haws

It's been a very good year for Long-tailed Tits, known to John Clare as Bumbarrels. The hedgerows and woods are full of extended family parties, calling softly to one another as they forage for insects.

I spied this one on a late afternoon visit to Etton-Maxey NR to look at the newly created scrapes. It was surprisingly windy which might account for the complete lack of birds on them, but I made up for this by spotting several species of coprophilous fungi, enjoying dazzling rainbows and gathering Quinces from the tree at Etton High Meadow allotment - I'd been given permission to do this as usually they go to waste. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow!