Wine & Gold

There's a nice autumn feel to early mornings and evenings: dew on the slowing lawn, mushrooms and toadstools appear at random and the plants are taking on their autumn hues.

 Robin ( c. Michael Finn)

The still misty mornings right now are perfect for listening to that September stalwart: the Robin.  That slow drizzle of notes is repeated around the garden as we get used to the idea that one of our most common birds is setting up territories for the winter ahead.  Many of these birds are only hatched this summer and not long out of their mottled juvenile plumage.  However there's no time to waste with birds in the garden: Wood Pigeons are coming to the Elder trees for black berry juice, no doubt thirsty after a day in the stubbles picking up spilt barley grains.

Wood Pigeon in the Elders (c. OOS)

Best autumn colour this week is with an established Rowan Tree, russet and red, still with berries which add to the display. 

Rowan tree (c.OOS)

 The willow trees are green leaved with an insipid pale yellow coming through.  Best of all and with the best still to come are the Dogwoods: the leaves are showing  great accents of reds and yellows and once the leaves part company, there's bright red stalks and icy white berries to look forward to.  

Dogwood , Cornus alba (c.OOS)

A Late Flourish

3 Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock (c.OOS)

You can definitely notice a change in temperatures: it is still very pleasant by day, but there's a noticeable dip in temps after dark: I wonder how the late rush of butterflies are faring?   There are still plenty of flowering plants in the garden, and larval plants such as nettles are at their peak.  I found the Teasel plants that scatter about at random to be a great attractant at this time, but not a Goldfinch in sight!

There are lots of other flying insects (though Wasps have dropped off, thankfully).  This Willow Warbler, having inspected the seed feeders from a  few feet, reverted to type and retrieved a blue bottle from the willow tree.

Willow Warbler with insect prey  (c.OOS)

There's a few birds passing through: a Spotted Flycatcher was my first in the garden, this year.. I would love to have them breeding: open fronted nestboxes await you!
Blackcaps and Blue Tits are testing the fast ripening Elder berries; all are enjoying this time of plenty.