I spent one day last week up at Pewit Carr Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. This place used to be a desolate ruin of a landscape corrupted by years of mining. Now it is a wildlife haven. This is a female Pochard (Aythya ferina). I didn't recognise what it was at first. My only other encounter with this species was in February this year down at Watermead and that one was a male (see below). .jpg)
The ducks seemed happy enough in the lakes. In fact in one lake I saw more coots (Fulica atra)than I have probably ever seen in my entire life, all in one place. I am not joking, there was at least 30 of them all swimming about in this one small lake.
We didn't just see birds though. Despite the rapidly dropping temperature and the coming winter there was still creepy crawlies about. This Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) caterpillar was running across the path as we headed deeper into the park. 
The landscape itself was displaying all the signs of Autumn. The trees were yellowing, the grass dieing down. The sky was full of dark grey clouds. Droplets of long fallen rain hung to the branches and added a aromatic dampness to the environment.
To the North we could see the forested Shipley Hill. I have wandered around there in the past. Long a go it used to be a big country house. Now the house is gone the gardens have slowly returned to nature. Its manicured lawns and terraces now home to great mature trees.
Some man made curiosities could be also be seen from Pewit Carr. Towards the south west the windmill on Cat and Fiddle Lane can be seen. I love windmills, they add a kind of romantic nostalgia to any scene.
If you fancy this walk, check out the map below and get out there.
Too much to blog and not enough time! I have just been doing so much that I have not really found the time to reflect on what I have been doing. Let me tell you about a walk I went on a week ago. It started near Groby in Leicestershire and worked its way past Groby Pool. I got there at about 4.30 and realised I had arrived too late for the car park. It was a gated car park and that gate was due to be locked soon after I was there. I ended up parking the car in the entrance of Groby Quarry.
Having not seen anything at Groby Pool I continued on into Lady Hay Wood. It was peaceful. You got the feeling that you might be being watched by deer and other small animals. Then the walk crossed over the main road and out along a farm track.
As the sun set the world seemed to come alive. Birds began to roost, mad squirrels dived around looking for nuts. The crepuscular species of leicestershire don't really bother trying to hide themselves. Geese from Groby Pool took to the air and practiced flying around in their V formation.
As the evening wore on we ended up in Martinshaw Wood. The failing light made it difficult to see around us. As the woods grew darker there came with it a feeling that the watchful eyes that were on you were growing resentful that a diurnal creature like yourself should noisily be interrupting their lives. The darkness became intimidating and it did something very strange to me. It made me want to be as loud as possible. I started singing to myself. Anything to break the silence. Suddenly my dark adjusted eyes caught sight of a large animal running away from us on the path ahead. A badger. Knowing what it was almost made me laugh. I wonder how it is that we can tell when we are being watched. Soon we were back in Groby and back to the car. I think that the drawing in of the daylight will prevent such after-work forays into the wilderness in the next few months but I am already looking forward to next spring.
Some of our insect friends have not quite received the message that Autumn is here. A quick root around in the bushes will reveal a whole host of creatures still in their larval stages. Here in my garden a Green Lacewing (Chrysopa carnea) larvae is still eating up the last aphids.
I wonder how many of these will survive the first frosts?
The other day I took the little one for a stroll around Borough Hill fort in Leicestershire. If anywhere in Leicestershire could be counted as upland than this place could. The windswept slopes offer tremendous views across the landscape.
This is the view to the north.
This is the view to the south.
This is the view back to the city of Leicester.
On the distant western horizon Bradgate Park was clearly visible. 
Though less distinctive the distant shape of Beacon Hill could also be seen.
To the East we spotted this windmill, but haven't as yet been able to locate it on the map.
