It's Autumn 2017

It's been another mixed day of glorious sunshine and heavy showers ...

Out earlier this afternoon and I was like a big kid  LOL!

The Autumn leaves were crunching beneath my feet, I never grow tired of hearing the crunch

The grandchildren weren't with me, they were at school, but as soon as I heard that first crunch they immediately came to mind because it's something they enjoy too!
I hope that the weather may be good over the weekend and they too can enjoy some leaf crunching.

Of course Dad's and Grandad's may look at this slightly differently as the garden slowly becomes covered with unwanted leaves

My walk was a little short lived, I kept a sharp eye on the grey clouds ... they were speeding my way ...

Too soon it was off to the shops and a small trolley full of some great LCHF foods, even though there were Christmas cards in the shops I resisted buying any - plenty of time to get them in a few months time.

Fish is on the menu tonight ... well it is Friday

All the best Jan

Got my leaf blower at the ready  though hopefully it's a few weeks off the trees shedding their leaves. Still plenty needs doing in the garden just need some decent weather

Allegedly when I used to stomp on the autumn leaves I used to say "tush!"

They're not really falling here yet but some are changing colour. The horse chestnuts have been hit with some disease for the last several years which turns the leaves brown early but otherwise doesn't seem to affect them. On the other hand, ash dieback disease has been making inroads and in some woods the ashes are nearly all dead, but others are still unaffected.

Lots of assorted berries in the hedges and trees, which some of the migrant birds are chomping down to fatten up for their migration. Meanwhile there's lots of stuff germinating in the fields, mainly wheat and rape. Bread and margarine yum (NOT)!

Mostly it's been cold and showery with a few sunny intervals. The good news is that the flies have gone. Now to deal with all the spiders . . .

Glad that the flies have now gone Chris.

Talking of spiders (as you were) apparently they don't like conkers!!!

A good friend swears by having conkers in their bungalow at this time of year. By doing this she says she never has problems with spiders and she strategically places the conkers around the edges of the rooms behind furniture etc.

Can't say I've tried it!

Have you?
Has anyone?

Do horse chestnuts keep spiders away?
https://www.scienceworld.ca/blog/do-horse-chestnuts-keep-spiders-away

All the best Jan

Not seen a lot of spiders this year "yet" and far fewer flies too and unless there's a warmish spell soon I don't think wasps will be a problem usually see loads at this time of year

Oh yes, hardly any wasps here for the last few years now, and not more than a few hornets. Plenty of bees, butterflies and moths though.

The spiders are partly self-limiting. I keep them around because they catch the flies, and midges, after which they start to eat each other, and we generally end up with one massive spider - think Hand from the Adams Family - which usually took up residence under mother's bed, plus a load of the skinny ones which trail webs all over the place and collect the dust, until they go into the hoover.

The outdoor ones generally die off with the frosts, leaving little egg bundles in the corners of the window frames and soffits ready for next year.

An Autumn Walk:

"It's official: recent research undertaken National Trust confirms that the natural colours we see on an autumnwalk make us feel happier, healthier and calmer. And there's no doubt that getting out and about is just the tonic at a time when more than 40 per cent of the population admits to feeling down as the nights draw in.

And who doesn't love an autumn walk? Shades of green pine, flashes of jewel-red berries, the burnt orange foliage of oaks and sycamores, vibrant purple wildflowers and russet toned rushes: strolling through the British countryside is the best way to take in the beautiful colours of the changing seasons.

To help encourage more people to make the most of the autumn palette, the National Trust has unveiled a list of top walks inspired by the colours of autumn. Chosen by Trust rangers, they showcase the rainbow of colours and scenery that can be enjoyed across England, Wales and Northern Ireland this September and October.

And to do our bit to make you happy, we've scoured the country to find the best places to stroll, amble or hike, with the help of the National Trust, Visit England and the Forestry Commission. So wrap up warm, grab a brolly (just in case) and make the most of Britain's glorious autumn.

And don't forget this year's Great British Walk, which takes place at National Trust properties all over the country from 8 September to 24 October. Discover orange clad hills, woodlands of golden leaves, blue evening skies and if you're lucky some red squirrels along the way."

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walking


Happy Walking

All the best Jan

Yes it's colouring up nicely now, still a bit here and there though. The heather's finished flowering and some of the bracken and birches are turning.

Finally my Virginia Creeper is earning its keep and turning maroon and purple so far. I didn't prune it (or anything else) last year so it's taken over about half the garden and should be a spectacular display real soon now.

A few relatively warm, sunny and still days. I've got my winter woollie out and am wearing it most days but the heating is temporarily off again.

After a wet murky start to the day the sun came out and it warmed up nicely to make a pleasant afternoon, been watching the birds in the hawthorn hedge tucking in to the berries nearly stripped it bare over the last few days

Jeez, if there has been a worse summer during my life time I cannot remember it. I'm hoping for some late Autumn so called global warming.

Don't be greedy, we had the best of summer back in spring!

I walked on a different heath today, still quite a lot of heather in flower, unlike the other common, though it's going over, and sat in the sun for a while.

I think the winter woollie is going back on soon though maybe not the heating.

Likewise not a few birdies filling up on berries to gain fat for their migrations, and a couple of Woodlarks in song, circling over the treetops and one on the power lines.

More trees colouring up too, including a spectacular maple in a garden that looked like a bonfire.

Hasn't the weather been glorious today ...

We were out in the countryside and it just was stunning.

Brilliant blue sky and sunshine and trees were in various stages of late summer/early Autumn shades ...you just can't beat it.
Talking of beating! We had some acorns fall on top of the car as we parked ... they did make a noise, but so good to see some oak trees

All the best Jan

Pleasant day here as well warm sunshine and little breeze got most of the shrubs cut back and just need another dry day to cut the grass and do a general tidy up of the borders

Yes I did the supermarket shopping then walked through the park and along the river and the meadows which are a nature reserve of sorts. Sat in the sun on several different seats watching out for rare migrants passing through, but nothing except Chiffchaffs in profusion, and assorted tits and a few finches, oh and a couple of Moorhens. I may have heard a water vole plop into the river but didn't see it. There have been not a few Yellow Browed Warblers around, and someone from Birmingham had one in his garden, but I didn't see or hear any, as usual.

Drove back the pretty way, lots of hawthorn berries and rose hips gleaming in the sun and leaves changing colour and falling.

My Virginia Creeper has reached carmine and crimson with touches of scarlet, and bits of green edged with yellow, and the golden dogwood is approaching lemon yellow. Some big yellow daisy type things in full flower, and still lots of mostly pink roses. Wild dogwoods, including the one in the front garden which needs pruning again, are going purple. Needs a frost to really start the colours changing.

Today was dismal, tomorrow might be sunny again, then we have a storm approaching, or so they claim, one of the Yanks' secondhand hurricanes

Chris said:
'My Virginia Creeper has reached carmine and crimson with touches of scarlet, and bits of green edged with yellow'

Bet it looks stunning Chris.

Autumn provides many glorious colours, it's one of my favourite seasons

All the best Jan

Autumn comes quickly on up here.
We have had a few migrants in the garden with a male Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat yesterday. Also Spotted Flycatcher, swallows passing south today. Like you Chris we are getting plenty of Crests and Chiffchaffs. 2 Treecreepers here feeding together today.
And we had our very first Speckled Wood in the week.
regards
Derek

Looking out of the window earlier there were quite a few Autumn leaves falling ...

Then of course it started raining - well it is October 1st.
Brollies at the ready, I think.

All the best Jan

Saturday I collected what may be the penultimate bag of runner beans then went for a prolonged and meandering drive. More assorted colours, and several Virginia Creepers which have already achieved scarlet. Someone had what looks like the same (unidentified) pink rose as mine, with even more flowers, and another cottage had a spectacular clump of Michaelmas Daisies in lurid violet, which reminded me I haven't been along the estuary to see the Sea Asters, which somewhat resemble Michaelmas daisies with some of the petals missing.

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/sea-aster

I walked round yet another small nature reserve, basically a grassy field planted with trees and shrubs with more in the surrounding hedges, and sat in the sun on a couple of seats fashioned from tree trunks. Again not many birdies of note, several more Chiffchaffs and a small flock of assorted tits, and some Goldfinches, and a couple of Skylarks and some appetising looking Pheasants and Partridges out in the fields.

There were some Guelder Roses

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/native-trees/guelder-rose/

colouring up subtly in the hedge, and some less subtle Spindles

https://rolfnussbaumer.photoshelter.com/image/I0000_ySsTV4DtCM

with those bizarre berries that resemble a child's plastic beads in pink and orange.

Today was miserable again, with rain and wind. I have the winter woollie and the heating back on, polished off the lamb chop with broccoli while watching the Rooks and Jackdaws performing in the wind, then retired to bed for a few hours, Now I'm about to have salmon and chillies with an avocado and watch one of the films I recorded, don't know which one yet.

Many thanks for all the links here Chris, I enjoyed seeing the plants/flowers  

We've had a slightly cooler but sunny day, neighbours were out cutting grass ... probably hoping it may be the last cut of the year! Somehow I doubt it.

All the best Jan

After windy days and trees turning prematurely the garden is carpeted with leaves again. It seems no time at all since last year. Swallows still passing in small numbers and Barnacle Geese are back from Svalbard. The Pinkfooted Geese from Iceland are flying over south. They are noisy birds with their easily identified. wink wink, king wink calls.
Derek

I really don't know too much anything about birds, except possibly sparrows, robins, magpies and pigeons !
I do enjoy reading about them and the sightings ... either on this thread or the Birds thread.
So thank you Chris and Derek

Out today enjoying the glorious Autumn sunshine I spotted silver in the sky - or at least it looked like two silver birds flying up against a brilliant blue sky and at such speed ... wonderful to see but I haven't a clue what the birds were, and I think I would have needed binoculars to have seen them clearly.

A glorious day - let's hope the weekend weather will be good too.

All the best Jan

Jan1 wrote:I really don't know too much anything about birds, except possibly sparrows, robins, magpies and pigeons !
I do enjoy reading about them and the sightings ... either on this thread or the Birds thread.
So thank you Chris and Derek

Out today enjoying the glorious Autumn sunshine I spotted silver in the sky - or at least it looked like two silver birds flying up against a brilliant blue sky and at such speed ... wonderful to see but I haven't a clue what the birds were, and I think I would have needed binoculars to have seen them clearly.

A glorious day - let's hope the weekend weather will be good too.

All the best Jan

Everyone can enjoy birds Jan and one doesn't need to be an expert! D.

Jan1 wrote:
Out today enjoying the glorious Autumn sunshine I spotted silver in the sky - or at least it looked like two silver birds flying up against a brilliant blue sky and at such speed ... wonderful to see but I haven't a clue what the birds were, and I think I would have needed binoculars to have seen them clearly.

Ummm, airplanes? Otherwise probably gulls of some kind.

I was woken early the other day by an unexpected thunderclap. When I put the news on it turned out to be a couple of jets flying supersonic. Took me back to the days when we would hear the boom as Concorde dropped out of hyperdrive over the Atlantic, not only in the West Country but Sussex. Often it would set the pheasants off calling.

Then I started reminiscing about watching Concordes flying out of the factory in Filton, and then how I used to walk up and down the Gloucester Road, which in those days was lined with local shops for local people, and buy my Allinson loaves, which I preferred to Prewetts and which were nearly as good as my home-baked bread, and Tiptree marmalades and Stute jams which were nearly as good as the stuff my mother made, and she gave me jars to bring home whenever I visited, then take the bus downtown to the market and buy my brown rice and assorted healthy whole grains and beans. If only I'd have known then what I know now . . .

We've had a few sunny days. I walked some of the farmland and sat on one of my grassy banks catching rays and sheltering from the wind. Not a great deal to be seen, Linnets and Goldfinches conspicuous by their absence, but I spotted a very yellow baby Chiffchaff with a very prominent eyestripe which I tried to make into something more exotic, but its call gave it away, and four Buzzards circling together, presumably a pair with two young, and the Kestrels which spent several years being very scarce but have now made a bit of a comeback.

Chris wrote:
"I was woken early the other day by an unexpected thunderclap. When I put the news on it turned out to be a couple of jets flying supersonic."

One of our sons was working in Essex that day and also heard the sonic boom ... caused a bit of a stir and something different to talk about!

Out and about the leaves do seem to be falling a lot quicker now. There were some council gardeners out clearing some of the flower beds of leaves, although some of the 'summer bedding flowers' are still providing a little colour.

Halloween and Firework activities/events are being well advertised ...

All the best Jan

Today was a complete washout heavy rain for most of the day, driving was pretty grim lots of deep puddles some I was unable to avoid caused a lot of spray