Thursday – Home – A bit of a culinary failure. I crop the thin, white aubergines and place some into the air fryer. After a few of minutes a couple explode. I prick the rest and then try the flesh. It is horribly bitter, salting will not rescue them. So I just compost the whole crop. Some Bramley apples are peeled, cored and slices. I try to then peel and core one of the rather small quinces from the garden. It proves difficult to the point I decide life is too short. They too can be composted. However, I have more success with the crop of basil which is turned into pesto.
Saturday – Leominster – Storm Amy heads up the northwest of the country bringing us here gales and a bit of rain, but not anything damaging. However, it has caused a lot of problems in Scotland. The Met Office said that Storm Amy set a new record for the deepest area of low pressure in the UK for October with a pressure of 947.9hPa at Baltasound, Shetland exceeding the previous record of 950.9hPa in 1988. The storm came from the interactions of hurricane Humberto and Imelda’s wind fields. At least the majority of the conkers are down now.
In the afternoon there are brief periods of sunshine between the darkening clouds. 
Along the ginnel where the scent of Ivy is still very strong. Over the railway and onto Butts Bridge. The water level in the River Lugg seems unchanged. The wind is still roaring through the trees.
Into the Millennium Orchard. A few apples from the later ripening trees have fallen but not enough to make it worth my while doing a collection for some days yet. In the Millennium park there was an apple tree I had noticed before it has a heavy crop of small red apples. They have a pleasant, sharp flavour but what variety I know not. Sadly the park is something of a mess. Large stands or stinging nettles are beginning to fall over another large willow branch has snapped the grass is patchy and coarse. The River Kenwater is sluggish and shallow.
Into the churchyard. A Robin twitters gently at me from a short branch on a yew tree. The remains of the fallen Birch tree looks like a modern sculpture. Honey fungus is growing around the stump of a tree that was felled a couple of years ago because of rot. The ground around an Atlas Cedar is covered in its male “flowers”, looking like brown scaly caterpillars.
Sunday – Humber – My first Winter Bird Survey for the BTO. A Common Buzzard is on a telegraph pole near Stoke Prior school. Along Steens Bridge Lane towards Humber Marsh. The fields to the north are sown with winter cereal whilst on the other side of the lane the fields have been ploughed and harrowed. A flock of what may well be Linnets flies over and disappears. The tall, thick hedges make it difficult to see into the fields. There are a lot of gulls on the ploughed field. Back along the lane to the Blackwardine section of the Roman Road. Here there is a better view of the ploughed field and I count over one hundred Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a handful of Herring Gulls. A Kestrel speeds low across the fields, alighting on a power line and inspecting the land below. Along the lane to Top Hill Farm. Cows chew the cud in a field behind the barns.
Back along the lane and over the crossroads towards Humber. On the lane to Humber Hall Farm, a family group of nine Ring-necked Pheasants run across the tarmac and disappear under a hedge in the field beyond. There are few birds around, a couple of Blue Tits and a pair of Common Buzzards drifting westwards. It seems strange that in the spring surveys Blackbirds are one of the commonest birds throughout the area but today I have not seen a single one. Jackdaw numbers are down but Wood Pigeons seem about the usual quantity.
Wednesday – Bodenham Lake – A cloudy, damp, mild morning. Squeaks and ticks come from the hedge row leading to the car park. The scent of flowering ivy is strong. A Blue Tit chatters and Robins sing fitfully. Along the track. Hips, Haws, Sloes and Cotoneaster berries gleam in the hedge. Over one hundred gabbling Canada geese are on the boating lake. Eight Little Egrets, fifteen Cormorants and a female Goosander are on the islands. Around the corner in the bay area another thirty Canada Geese, nine Shoveler, a dozen or more Mallard and a Pochard.
Into the hide. There are dozens more Canada Geese. A wader appears and disappears. Blue and Long-tailed Tits flit between the Willows. A Mandarin Duck sails majestically across the water. The wader reappears at the western end, a Green Sandpiper. It flies over the scrape and is joined by a second. Teal dabble nearby. Three Coot and a Moorhen come out onto the scrape. The noise from the Canada Geese is incessant.
Back out into the plantation of Alders. A fallen log has fresh growths of Honey Fungus. Apples are falling in large numbers in both the cider and dessert apple orchards. A Trust worker tells me Newton Court, a cider and apple juice producer, is due to arrive with machinery to collect the fruit.
Sunday – Leominster – The sky is uniformly grey. A light mist and dampness is in the air. A dozen Jackdaws peck at the road surface. A pair of noisy Carrion Crows are on a television aerial. Half a dozen gulls fly over, almost hidden in the mist. I am walking rather gingerly as my back has been painful (bad enough to make me go to see a doctor). I have done little over the last few days to rest it. So over the railway and onto Butts Bridge. Robins are singing. The water level in the River Lugg may have dropped slightly.
Onto Easters Meadow. The Himalayan Balsam flowers are fading leaving the spring-loaded seed heads which shoot seed some distance when they burst. When one explodes the seeds hit others which in turn explode causing a cascade effect. There is little in Brightwells’ compound except a large amount of building materials and JCB forklift but no sign of any construction. A Little Egret flies up from the river at the confluence of the Lugg and Kenwater. It lands in the Kenwater close to the railway bridge. Carrion Crows caw and a Magpie chucks.
A tractor and trailer pass along Mill Lane probably returning from a delivery of potatoes to the distribution site west of Leominster on the A44. Both Cheaton and Ridgemoor Brooks are little more than a trickle. A Dipper flies off a rock in the weir on the Lugg.
The market is getting smaller now the weather is getting colder and damper. There are far fewer customers too although a woman passes me on the way out with five packed bags and a broom. There is a jam of reeds and rubbish in the River Lugg, just upstream from Ridgemoor Bridge, caused 
by dumped supermarket trolleys. A couple of Pond Skaters are still on the water downstream from the bridge. A Robin sings loudly. Into Paradise Walk. Bell practice is underway at the Minster. The Kenwater is still shallow. Into town. Another tractor and empty trailer passes. A potato in the road suggests my earlier guess was correct.
Tuesday – Home – The weather has been very dull and damp. The pots containing dead and dying plants in the greenhouse are removed and recycled into the compost bins. Most of the Conference pears are harvested and an attempt is made to straighten the tree up. Some of the branches will have to be trimmed off over the winter. Large clubs of Honey Fungus have emerged from the roots of the willow stump. The grass at the lower end of the garden is getting very long but is rarely dry enough to cut.
The Rhode Rock hen is still broody and spends all day on the nest. The other two younger girls are still lying reasonably steadily. The old Warren is still going although she simply plods around the run not paying much attention to anything.
Friday – Home – The Bramley apples and some damaged pears are turned into chutney. After I have put it in jars, I reckon it is a bit too sweet but never mind. Kay is having a nightmare journey back from Brighton. She joined the Swansea train at Paddington which left the station then returned. There was an incident on the line, which usually means a fatality. The line will not be cleared for hours. She heads for Reading and some time later a very late train sets off for South Wales.
A leaf rake scarifies the meadow area removing the dried grass from the recent mowing. The old Warren hen is looking bad, laying in the run, eyes closed and being pecked by the other two, the Rhode Rock still on the nest. I decide it is better to despatch her.
Ravens appear to be on the move, flying over regularly. Robins start singing well before first light.
Saturday – Home – On Thursday I gathered two sacks of Michelin and about half a sack of Genet Moyle cider apples. Today I crush and press them. The Michelin produce a very dark brown juice whilst the Genet Moyle’s is much paler. As I recall, both produce a very pale cider. Much of the left over pomace, the apple pulp, goes into the compost bins.
The bird feeders are busy throughout the day. The gang of House Sparrows chatter noisily in the Laurel bush, darting to the seed feeder, grabbing a seed and retreating. Blue Tits do the same but they are up in the Ash tree. Overhead a number of Jackdaws are harassing a Common Buzzard which drifts on seemingly unconcerned. Leaves are falling from the Horse Chestnut now, creating a sound like rain on the summerhouse roof. All of the conkers have fallen now and a great number of bags of them have been taken to the recycling centre. However, doubtless the local Grey Squirrels have gathered a good number and buried them around the garden.
Sunday – Leominster – An overcast, damp morning with rain in the air. The roof tops are quiet, only a few Jackdaws and a single Feral Pigeon. The wind is rising. Over the railway and up to Butts Bridge. The track is golden with Black Poplar leaves. The water level in the River Lugg seems unchanged. A Great Tit squeaks in the trees. A Dipper moves downstream whirring from rock to rock.
Back to the railway bridge. A Grey Squirrel scurries along the tracks. Grey clouds are moving north. Through Pinsley Mill. Seeds of Rosebay Willowherb which were white and fluffy now look dull and bedraggled. Into the Millennium Orchard. Large numbers of Michelin apples continue to fall. Bramleys have also fallen in good numbers and I collect a bagful. Bell practice begins. Dog walkers are out in force.
Home – A large pan of Bramleys are cooked down to a purée. The Rhode Rock is removed from the nest whilst I change the newspaper that lines it. Silver has a peck at her to show who is boss. Silver and Blue’s eggs have gradually got larger.
Tuesday – Home – The autumn clearing of the garden continues. The air is damp but no rain – yet. The hanging baskets and the troughs of tomatoes are stripped of the few remaining fruits and then the contents go into the compost. The courgette plants by the chicken run have died back so they too go into the compost. The last of the Doyenne du Comice pears are picked and some of the larger Herefordshire Russet apples. The callaloo that came through this year has uselessly small leaves so were not cropped. The plants are being steadily uprooted and given to the hens. The Rhode Rock makes here daily appearance for food and water then retreats back to the nest. No idea how long this broodiness is going to continue.
Wednesday – Leominster – The sun is shining but there are great piles of grey cloud in the sky, a precursor of the oncoming Storm Benjamin. Over the railway and onto Butts Bridge. A Grey Wagtail flies off upstream. A Dipper is on a broken branch laying in the water. Bright yellow Black Poplar leaves glitter against the dark grey clouds.
Into the Millennium orchard. I advise a woman who is picking apples that she is collecting cider apples which is a surprise to her as she wanted to juice them. Through the park to the Peace Garden. The River Kenwater is flowing sluggishly. At long last the fencing across Pinsley Mead has been removed. Scaffolding remains around the youth hostel and the old Priory hospital, later becoming the workhouse. Into the churchyard. There are Grey Squirrels everywhere. A Blackbird is pecking at crab apples. Shaggy Parasols are growing under one of the great Cypress trees. A Song Thrush sings. Blue Tits squeak. Several Mistle Thrushes rasp. Fresh molehills have been thrown up. Several clumps of Honey Fungus are at the base of the Verdun Oak.
Friday – Leominster – Storm Benjamin passed through fairly uneventfully, just dumping rather a lot of rain on us yesterday afternoon. Today is sunny periods with a light breeze. Over the railway along to Butts Bridge. Yesterday’s rain has resulted in the river rising several inches, the shingle bar is beginning to disappear. Not a single 
bird is making a sound. A large area of grey cloud is moving over. It starts to rain.
Into Pinsley Mill. A small flock of Blue and Long-tailed Tits fly past. Higher in the sky, Wood Pigeons fly rapidly this way and that. Into the Millennium Orchard. The Lady’s Fingers cider apples trees are hanging on to their fruit; it seems it will be still some time before they fall. The Spindle tree at the end of the Millennium Park has a heavy crop of the delicate dark pink and orange fruits. The River Kenwater is flowing maybe slightly faster and deeper today.
Through Pinsley Mead. It appears the work being done on the old priory buildings is being undertaken by Historic England. It is slightly surprising but after 10 months of work the roof is clearly not finished yet. In the past I have referred to the building as the infirmary, however other historians believe it was in fact the house of the prior and such a well appointed building it was not demolished in 1539 on Dissolution. In 1717 building was made into a mansion house for the Bailiff for feasts and balls. In 1836, George Wilkinson, architect, was asked to extend the building to make it into the workhouse which in continued to be until the early 20th century. It was then briefly again used as a hospital and then offices for the County Council. From the church one can see that the south side of the building roof has in fact been re-slated.
Into Church Street. It looks like some work is being undertaken internally on the large Georgian house that, although now sold, has been empty for some time. Back through the town. I am rather surprised to see the Christmas lights have already been put up in School Lane.
Sunday – Leominster – The ritual of the clocks going back is enacted. It will be lighter in the morning for a couple of weeks. The morning is cool. High wispy clouds are in a blue sky. Vapour trails from aircraft disappear rapidly. Bird calls are few, the occasional Jackdaw, Blue Tit and Magpie. The River Lugg has risen quite some inches in the last few days and the shingle bar has now completely disappeared. Onto Easters Meadow. Nearly all the flowers have now disappeared and turned to seed, just a few Himalayan balsam remain. A Jay flies across the meadow to the trees by the bypass. A Common Buzzard flies into the riverside trees. More Jays are screeching on the rough ground across the river. Carrion Crows sit atop the trees. The gravel banks at the confluence of the Kenwater and Lugg have also now been submerged. A single plant, possibly a Hawkweed stands defiantly in the flowing water. White Dead-nettles are in flower beside the path. Cheaton Brook does not seem to have risen much but Ridgemoor Brook is far deeper.
The boot sale, the last of the year, is just a dozen stalls and few punters. There is still a logjam upstream from Ridgemoor Bridge although it looks like a lot of material has been swept away. The Pond Skaters have all gone below the bridge. Into Paradise Walk. The Kenwater, like the other water bodies around here, is far deeper than it was even a few days ago. The water is less clear. Bell ringing practice starts. In the car park the tolling bells echo off the houses in Bridge Street with a noticeable delay.
Home – A few more Herefordshire Russets are collected but the majority have bird damage so will not keep. It is frustrating that the birds take only a peck out of a large number of fruit, rendering them useless, instead of devouring just some of them. A few Christmas Pippins are gathered as well, some a reasonable size. The Conference pears in the garage have all turned to mush, I had hoped it was cool enough in there for them to last a few weeks.
Monday – Leominster – A grey and rather windy day. Down to Pinsley Mill. Hawthorns are still heavily laden with haws. The only bird activity is passing Jackdaws and Wood Pigeons. At the end of the housing development, a Pied Wagtail squeaks on a roof. Into the orchard. Dabinett apples have fallen in quantity but the Lady’s Fingers are still holding fast. Blue Tits chatter in the trees. Into the park. Robins sing in brief bursts. A Rabbit disappears into the old overgrown pond.
Into the churchyard. Grey Squirrels are busy on the grass. Nearly all the dark red crab apples have gone and the absence of any on the ground means something has been having a fine feast.
Tuesday – Leominster – During the morning, the sun made a few half-hearted attempts at breaking through the clouds but has now given up. There is a brisk wind but it is not cold. After returning books to the library, off through Chapel Walk, a passage and shops (these days just a single business occupying all the premises apart from an Indian restaurant) which are through the 1861 Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, converted in 1990, although it appears to have been a garage after 
the Second World War. Into a modern car park and buildings on the site of the Lion Works, manufacturers of agricultural equipment. The old Sunday School is behind the chapel. Beyond a wall, backing onto premises in Broad Street, is a timber-framed house in poor condition. It is described in the listing as a cottage and possible workshop, maybe connected to the leather industry. Into Lion Yard. The large antique centre occupies a former warehouse and Territorial Army hall. Into the alleyway beside the Lion Ballroom and out into Broad Street. It starts to rain.
Down to Bridge Street car park, on the site of mediaeval fishponds then the town gasometers. Onto Pinsley Mead. The sound of a pneumatic staple gun comes from the roof of the old hospital. Into the Millennium park. Lack of maintenance is beginning to show; on both sides shrubbery and Stinging Nettles have transgressed at least 10 to 15 feet onto the former grass area. Onto the churchyard. The rain has ceased and suddenly bright sunshine lights up the copper leaves fallen from the Beeches. Grey Squirrels clamber up the tree trunks. By the War Memorial, a flock of Long-tailed Tits twitter in the branches. Nearby a Robin ticks in a Holly tree.
Wednesday – Bodenham Lake – Steady rain falls from a uniformly grey sky. It is not cold. In the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful hurricanes on record, is causing devastation. It is not thought to bring any severe weather here. Clouds drift through the treetops on Dinmore Hill. The row of Lombardy Poplars has turned golden yellow. A number of Blackbirds are sounding alarms at the end of the meadow. A Carrion Crow barks from the top of a tree. The lake is quiet. A few Mallard, Coot, Moorhens, a flock of Greylags, a few Grey Herons, a couple of Cormorants, two pairs of Mandarin Ducks by the island, several more at the western end and four Shoveler. Peace is broken as skeins of Canada Geese fly in. A Robin sings from the large rose briar on the bank outside the hide. A Great White Egret stalks out onto the mud and preens itself.
Back onto the meadow. The rain has stopped. On the Goat Willow, also called the Sallow, buds are already forming at the junctions of the dying leaves and the branches. Into the orchards. There are a few Blackbirds and the odd Mistle Thrush here but a complete absence of winter thrushes. A Green Woodpecker yaffles. In the dessert apple orchard the trees have been given a number on a tag.
Leominster – During the afternoon the cloud thins and the sky brightens. Through Pinsley Mill. Various squeaks come from across the railway, Dunnock, Blue Tit and Pied Wagtail. Under a Yew in the churchyard a gravestone is a large block of stone with a bat and wicket carved on it, Fred Wooding, who died in 1910. Someone has added a crudely made wooden replica of a bat. The tree is surrounded by Ivy, being visited by a few bees and flies. More graves are hidden in another Yew thicket. One is of Sarah Marshall who died in 1898 at Colara Cottage, Muskova, Canada. Around the thicket are various graves, broken lumps of stone and marble. A long platform has been constructed of headstones laid three or four deep. A Carrion Crow calls and the strangulated sound of a Grey Squirrel comes from the trees. The wind is making the air colder.
Friday – Caynham – A very damp morning with a stiff breeze. Grey clouds speed eastwards. Onto the churchyard of St Mary’s. A Mistle Thrush rasps. Redwings, my first winter thrushes of the season, fly into a Yew. A Robin ticks. Something has been digging around the base of a Yew, badger maybe? The path to the church is scattered with Yew berries. The churchyard cross is very worn but a little carving can be discerned. I have visited this church a couple of times before.
Clee – The view from the top of the village is of misty fields and hills. Some fields are lit with sunlight. The more distant hills are lost in the gloom. Sheep are on the common that drops away southwards. Dark green Gorse is spotted with yellow flowers. A Kestrel hangs on the breeze. Up the road towards the works and round into the track beside the large flooded quarry. The absence of wildfowl pretty much throughout the year suggests the water is too deep for diving birds and there is little to eat on the surface. Thin cloud drifts across the top of the hill then lifts a little. A Carrion Crow calls then a Raven croaks. A Peregrine flies over attracting the ire of the covids.
Back down the track to the car park. The clouds are thickening and darkening, the wind increasing in strength and the whole the definition of bleak.
Leominster – Down to the orchard to check to apples. Most of the Dabinetts have now fallen but the Lady’s Fingers are refusing to drop despite the brisk winds. It starts to rain, getting steadily heavier.