Wildlife in October

Among birdwatchers, October is a favourite month as it’s a great time for finding rare birds. Species seen now may include yellow-browed warblers, Pallas’ warblers, Radde’s warblers and red-flanked bluetails, all of which are eastern species and occur in Norfolk only as rare vagrants. Of course, where there is one rarity there are countless commoner migrants including willow warblers, chiffchaffs and song thrushes. Many birds arriving now will stay for the winter. These include great flocks of wigeon along the coast and pink-footed geese in wet grazing marshes.

Close to home there is plenty to see too. After a damp summer and autumn, fungi will be abundant in woods, in parks and in gardens. Your local hedgehogs will now be fattening themselves up for hibernation and this is a great time for seeing the last common darter dragonflies of the year, sunbathing in quiet corners of the garden. Other mammals are turning their thoughts to next spring: now is the time for fallow deer to rut. Though restricted in range in the wild in Norfolk, a large captive herd of these beautiful animals may be watched rutting in Holkham Park.