is winter coming ?

[RKB]

Originally Posted by faz

birds are moulting

That's more of a summer thing. Many birds start when it's still technically spring (May) and most are finished by October. Quite a lot of birds moult while actually breeding (raptors, wildfowl, warblers, thrushes).

Blackberries also ripen at the height of summer (Jul-Aug), and I've been eating them for a week.

In fact, seeing as it's only just August, the things you're listing are not signs of winter at all - they're signs of midsummer!

[Lancashire Lad]

Saw my first Amethyst Deceivers (Laccaria amethystina) this week.
A fungus that is generally associated with autumn, so summer is definitely on the wane.



Still, they are always a welcome sight, as they were the very first fungus I ever photographed and managed to identify, and herald the onset of the most productive part of the year for fungi in my area.

Regards,
Mike.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

Saw my first Amethyst Deceivers (Laccaria amethystina) this week.
A fungus that is generally associated with autumn, so summer is definitely on the wane.



Still, they are always a welcome sight, as they were the very first fungus I ever photographed and managed to identify, and herald the onset of the most productive part of the year for fungi in my area.

Regards,
Mike.

Wow, what a lovely thing to see great shot LL, Its nice to see pics of what people are seeing out and about at this time of year.
Hope were not in for another long cold winter though like the last one..
But then again at least it wasn't mild and wet..
The summer seems so short these days, must be me getting old..

[faz]

Originally Posted by RKB

That's more of a summer thing. Many birds start when it's still technically spring (May) and most are finished by October. Quite a lot of birds moult while actually breeding (raptors, wildfowl, warblers, thrushes).

Blackberries also ripen at the height of summer (Jul-Aug), and I've been eating them for a week.

In fact, seeing as it's only just August, the things you're listing are not signs of winter at all - they're signs of midsummer!

i know but of late i have seen magpies for example bald head looks like a ruff (lol) still going through moult

[barnbear]

Well I've got a nest of 3 Goldfinches outside my back door so that's a spring thing right?
Other than that, I'm not looking at starting my main apple harvest until the 16th at the earliest, and that's a week later than last year, my plums (stop sniggering) will break jaws if you try to bite one.
BB

[RKB]

Originally Posted by faz

i know but of late i have seen magpies for example bald head looks like a ruff (lol) still going through moult

It takes around 6-8 weeks to go through the whole moult for the average garden bird.

[SheffieldLass]

Is winter coming?

I jolly well hope so, at least started by December 20th, otherwise climate change is worse than we thought .... It is summer now, though, and there are lots of summer fungi around.

[faz]

most definatley a nip in the air tonight

[Hedera]

Don't wish the year away yet! The smell of chrysanthemums(or whatever they call them now), leaves rotting, bonfires, sweet apples and juicy pears, lazy buzzing bees on michaelmas daisies -AUTUMN!!!

[PMG]

Yesterday I noticed that the back garden robin had changed to his autumn/winter song ....... its sad and wistful not the arrogant throttle he defends his territory with in spring ......... oh dear ....... is it me thats sad and wistful

Actually I have a very funny view of what I think is spring and my seasons are tilted at a queer angle to what most folks think - spring starts very early for me - could be as early as January - certainly Feb with young owls and aconite, sweet violets and snowdrops and hits its zenith first week in May as the leaves come out that lucious apple green and pale keys on ash trees, roadside grass verges full of dandelions in full flower ande not a 'clock' to be seen - that sort of thing! As soon as there are 'clocks' swallows and swifts etc its full summer. And autumn kicks in around the beg of July with the start of return migration of waders - notably green sandpiper, young dunlin and sanderling onto northern shores and so on. From here on its kind of high summer with autumn breathing right down its neck - but my autumn goes on till the first week in Nov when the trees finally lose the last leaves except for oak which seem to hang on even when dead! That makes my winter about 2 months long!!!! Snow lying on the ground even round our way till middle of March kind of ruined my usual view this year

Pauline