The young swallows were still in their nest and only fledged on the 17th September. They stayed around the nest area for several days learning to fly more strongly and preparing for their long journey to South Africa for the winter.  

Other summer visitors that were still seen on the Decoy in September included chiffchaffs and blackcaps, whilst a juvenile wheatear was on the field pools on 19th.

A migrating greenshank dropped onto the marsh pools on 2nd September. A little ringed plover found on the field pools on the 18th September was very late but even so it remained for a few days. On the following day a juvenile ruff was discovered and the lapwing numbers had started to increase slowly with over a hundred being recorded.  Up to sixty goldfinches and fifteen meadow pipits were regularly seen feeding around the area during September.

A barn owl was seen hunting on Hale Marsh on the 3rd September and again on the 5th September when it was seen to fly into the decoy wood. Towards the end of the month it was also seen sitting on a road sign at ten o'clock at night. There is often a kestrel sitting on the lamp posts along the main road here, so it must be a good place for spotting voles and mice.

Four species of dragonfly were seen up to the middle of September: brown, migrant and southern hawkers and common darters all flew on sunny days. Up to three speckled woods and single red admirals were also flying up until 4th October.

The Friends of Pickerings Pasture had their final Decoy work party of the year on the 3rd September renewing the wood on the information boards and repainting the posts. Lynda has also made new covers for the boards which will protect them during the worst of the winter weather and in particular from the pigeon droppings!

By the 10th September the duck numbers were slowly increasing with eighty teals and fifty seven mallards being present on the decoy pond. The mallard numbers increased during the following week to at least a hundred and twenty: they were feeding on acorns which had fallen into the pond. A tufted duck, two little grebes and a coot were present as well. These numbers remained fairly constant until mid-October

The high tides came right over the marsh up to the main road and filled the moat. Two buzzards took advantage of the small mammals being flushed out by the tide and at least two voles were caught. A raven spent some time perched in a dead oak tree calling, whilst its mate carried on flying towards Speke.

Two adult mute swans arrived on Carr Lane pools on 18th September but unfortunately didn't stay long. Parties of black-tailed godwits were using the field pools over the high tide periods with a maximum count of three hundred being noted on one occasion. The numbers of teal were slowly building up here too with about eighty by the beginning of October along with the first wigeon of the season. Thirty two black-tailed godwits, a few lapwing and about thirty teals were flushed by a hunting female peregrine falcon on October 10th. It singled out a black-tailed godwit but after a minute or two she gave up the chase.  A fine covey of eleven grey partridge on the 16th were feeding near the pools, while careful scanning with the telescope through the reed beds revealed at least eleven snipes.

With the milder weather this year the autumn colours lasted longer than normal. There was a good crop of red berries, especially on the hawthorns and the leaves the guelder rose bushes along the paths made an especially fine sight.

Into November and some strong winds on the 10th brought two hundred and thirty teals, one hundred and eighteen mallards and two gadwalls onto the Decoy to shelter. About eighty fieldfares came into the wood just before dusk to roost for the night. From the path to the decoy nine grey partridge were seen in the wheat field on 18th. Three tufted ducks, fifty eight teals, forty mallards, a little grebe and six grey herons were on the pond whilst in the woodland a fine flock of over ninety chaffinches, a few goldfinches and greenfinches fed on the seeds from the birch trees. Several redwings were seen feeding on the berries on the hawthorn bushes.

On the 10th, at the field pools, one hundred and eighteen teals, eighteen wigeons, two shovelers, a curlew and a black-tailed godwit were feeding. A little egret flew across the road from the marsh. During the late afternoon five greater white-fronted geese came in and landed on the field pools. There were two adults and three juveniles and they spent most of their time feeding, until dark. As the weather had been quite murky and a strong wind was blowing, they were probably lost: they actually stayed until the morning of the 12th when the weather cleared up...

On November 21st, a female merlin was seen hunting over the marsh and nearby fields chasing a flock of linnets. Later it also had a go at a party of starlings but was not seen to catch anything. One hundred and forty teals, two shovelers, about thirty wigeons and three black-tailed godwits were feeding during the early morning of the 25th whilst two buzzards sat on the fence posts looking out for prey.

On the Saturday 26th a strong gale and a very high tide eventually covered the whole marsh, surrounding the decoy itself. Just before high tide six greater white-fronted geese came in from the North and landed at the edge of the flock of five hundred and sixty Canada geese and forty shelducks. At the same time a party of four hundred and fifty dunlins was present feeding on the flooded marsh.

With the heavy rain, together with all the fallen leaves, the outlet drain became blocked once again and caused the water level to rise in the ditches. Consequently a small amount of flooding occurred along the ditches and pipes. It was therefore necessary to get the additional pump running to reduce the water level.

A thorough check on the Sunday failed to find the geese although several buzzards and a kestrel hunted the edges of the incoming tide: the kestrel at least being successful by catching a vole. A sparrowhawk flew low over the road and across the field pools to the bank of the Ramsbrook: landing just below the top. After waiting a few moments it slowly walked up the bank to peep over the top, hoping to surprise a bird on the far pools. It was out of luck!