Spotted Flycatchers on the move

It was almost as if our summer breeding pair of Spotted Flycatchers (constantly busy, but rarely seen again once the family fledged) had called by for a farewell visit to the garden before heading south! There they perched in the autumn sunshine- sitting high up in one of the tall conifers, sallying out for every passing insect for ten minutes or so, then they were off. The reality is they were more likely just a couple of birds passing through on migration.See 'spot flies' from the July archive opposite for earlier report and video. The house martins are still busy-busy, attending to a couple of 'second' broods they are rearing. By the nearby Carey Burn, buzzard and kestrel hung in the air over the rim of the valley; luckily neither spotted the slow worm basking on the path in the beautiful autumn sunshine. The sea trout or salmon were even making an occasional attempt on the waterfall, no doubt encouraged by the extra volume of water from Friday's rain, but they will need more of a spate to make it further upstream.