October 2024

26th. We caught up with the elusive yellow-browed warbler at Kingsgate Park, Yate.

23rd. About 3 firecrests at the Zoo bank, Clifton Downs. Lots of redwings too.

22nd. The comet and an aeroplane.

21st. Rubbish photo, but at least I managed to 'see' Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from the decking in Bristol this evening. Despite the light pollution, the sky was clear in places and I took some random photos in the direction where the Stellarium App said the comet would be (couldn't see it even with binoculars). It will soon disappear for another 80,000 years.

11th. I walked from Botallack to Kenidjack and back in a circular walk, seeing about 5 chough and a tame raven. The occasional tuna splash in St Ives Bay.

10th. The Aurora at St Ives was different from others I have seen. There was often a lot of cloud cover, and the sky appeared uniformly pink in places on long exposures, with few ‘curtains' of light. The Aurora was barely visible to the naked eye, but still spectacular on photographs. I'm lucky to have witnessed both major events this year.