Another lovely day in Askerswell.

Thursday 29^th October 2026.

A nice bright start here in Askerswell.

Another dry and bright day here in Askerswell where I was up around 5am to put the dogs out into the garden where a Tawny Owl was ‘hooting’ some distance away. It was dawn when I went out to check the Moth Box but sadly, there was not one Moth to be had this morning. The new light bulb I bought yesterday simply wasn’t strong enough to attract Moths and for my efforts, all it attracted was several Common Wasps.

Hundreds of Wood Pigeons were passing over the countryside. 

However, I wasn’t totally Moth free as I caught a macro moth last night and quickly potted it to identify it this morning. It was in fact my second (I caught one in July) Coastal Buff moth (Agonopterix yeatiana) of the year once I established its ID, I quickly released it back into the garden.

This Coastal Buff micro moth was caught last night.

Before breakfast, I spent the next 30 to 40 minutes watching what might fly over or land in the trees by the garden. Kicking off with thrushes, up to 3 Song Thrushes were noted (a pair and a single bird flew high west); a Mistle Thrush was heard calling somewhere in the distance and a lone Redwing flew east.

A Pied Wagtail on a nearby rooftop.

Two Green Woodpeckers were heard calling down in the Copse below the field, but still no sightings of them yet. I had better luck with a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the garden. A Nuthatch flew out of the trees by the garden and then south over the house and a couple of Goldcrests were flitting about in the nearby trees. I did hear a Blackcap ‘chacking’ some distance away in the roadside hedgerow. A Treecreeper was calling in the trees behind the house, and a Grey Wagtail also flew over but lost to view.

One of the Roe Deer bounding over the field.

After a trip to Yeovil with my wife and dogs, once home and after lunch, I took the dogs for a short walk around the village. Apart from the usual birds, I did find a Firecrest flitting about in a tree but was very active and would not keep still long enough for a decent photo; but sadly, not much else to report. I wonder what dusk will bring?

A pair of Roe Deer this morning in the usual field.

This evening finished with a gorgeous sunset over the countryside as I watch dusk fall here in Askerswell. Birds were going into roost and the Roe Deer came out of hiding to start grazing in the field opposite. Up to 7 Deer came out of the woods and that included the well antlered Buck that showed very well. I was hoping for an Owl or a Woodcock to go over, but I had to wait till nearly 7.30pm when it was fully dark for a Tawny Owl to call somewhere in the wood below the field to round off a relaxing day.

Above, up to 7 Roe Deer came out of the wood to graze.

Above, the Buck Roe Deer came out as well.

Above, a gorgeous sunset over the countryside from our Cottage and below, the moon rising over the hill to the east.