Signs of Autumn

[RobinP]

The Bullfinches are now flocking together - six in my garden this morning on the feeders. A party of Willow Warblers has also passed through, four or five in number.

Every bush seems laden with berries, the blackberries are particularly good this year. On the flowering Ivy there are numerous bees and flies and one Comma butterfly, but no Red Admirals as yet. A pair of Common Hawkers are also flying around looking for an easy meal. It's warm in the sunshine but there's a chillly NE breeze blowing.

[JoulesH]

Yup - swallows have gone and we had a frost this morning! Our hawthorn berries are truly spectacular - bright red and the size of marbles - must be all the rain we've had this summer and then the late sun to ripen them.

[James M]

A few trees around here are starting to turn, lots of conkers and lots of bright red berries on the cotoneaster this year. There seems to be a bumber crop of berries on the local Hawthorns too. The last Hirundines seem to have moved on now, haven't seen any Swallows or Houses Martins for a few days. Seem to have hit the peak of the Nymphalid butterfly season, a large increase in Red Admirals especially, shall look out for them on the blackberries soon.

The days are noticably shorter now and nights under clear skies are getting quite chilly too, down to 6.5C this morning, won't be long before the first frosts.

[Amoeba]

I've never liked the onset of autumn. Makes me feel a little depressed.

The colours of the leaves, the shorter days... its all starting. I need to move somewhere where winter and autumn don't occur and where it's green all year round.

[Stinky Bob]

Definitely an Autumn feel around, the chickens are putting themselves to bed at 19.30, greenhouse was registering 6.5 last night and huge amounts of mist coming off the river at 06.00 this morning, time to get out the thermal draws methinks

[Estwing]

Hi, Is it just me or are the Craneflies late to emerge this year?
I would normally expect to see Swallows dropping down to take them but not this season.
Maybe the Swallows have flown south early?
Anyway, Autumn is here, my Runner beans and Pumpkin plants have been killed off by the cooler nights.
Hopefully the leaves will start to drop soon as I've got alot of hedge laying to do!

Cheers
Al

[DavyG]

We saw a large flock of swallows over and around a lake today, maybe a group beginning their migration?

There seem to be fewer darters and damselflies around but a lot of migrant hawkers are on the wing.

It's a lovely time of year but it has a tinge of sadness about it, I guess it's because we know winter isn't far away.

Roll on spring!

Dave

[dickybird]

i can empathise with you amoeba-i lose all my energy come the autumn-wish i could hibernate. seen some magnificent v-formations of geese flying east to west lately(and heard them!) the commas have gone but i spotted a couple of red admirals in the sun today.the swallows and most of the house martins have departed-though i did hear and spot one lonely bird this pm. the fields have been ploughed and planted and the bees(what few we had)have disappeared.plenty of wasps though! masses of blackberries this year and the blackbirds are already feasting on the wind-falls. even the air feels and sounds different....
yep..its autumn...........

dickybird

[lol geoff]

I noticed yesterday that of all the Back Headed Gulls I saw none of them still had black heads.

[cutecoot]

Originally Posted by Amoeba

I've never liked the onset of autumn. Makes me feel a little depressed.

The colours of the leaves, the shorter days... its all starting. I need to move somewhere where winter and autumn don't occur and where it's green all year round.

It's really the night's drawing in that I don't like .. I love the autumn colours, and love those cold, sunny, crisp days in winter .. if only it still got dark at 9pm! In fact it's really quite a phobia for me, the night's drawing in thing .. winter solstice is a big thing for me because, once I hit that, I know its going to start getting lighter from then on!