Clear frosty nights are what we’re enjoying at the moment. After several days of strong westerly winds (that have uprooted our garden fence again) we’ve got a gentle easterly breeze and clear skies. We left the house at 9:15 last night and walked along the River Wansbeck. Mute Swans were feeding serenely, Rabbits were scattering in front of us, a Herring Gull was dive-bombing a Grey Heron (and kept up the assault even once the heron got the message and flew upstream) and Dunlin were callling in display over the tidal mud. The staccato rattle of the bat detector alerted us to Common Pipistrelles, hunting the few insects that were braving the cold night air. We’ve blogged before about the transition from day to night in the autumn and winter, but it’s a special time of day at any time of the year.