Well, autumn is here and the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder. So, what is happening in nature in September?
The plants are dying back to below ground to overwinter as seeds or they look withered and dead above ground. The deciduous or broadleaved trees and shrubs are starting to lose their leaves to protect themselves from winter when water is in short supply and the ground is often frozen. Leaves of trees such as ash, sweet chestnut and beech are turning light green, yellow and orange.
The leaves of such as the horse chestnut turn brown around the edges and the very familiar conkers are falling on to the ground. These seeds are brown and shiny and looked like polished wood. Conkers are encased in spiky green cases which split open allowing the conkers to spill out when they fall off the trees. Sweet chestnuts also have green spiky cases with the fruit inside.
There is always one exception to the rule when it comes to trees losing their leaves and there is one tree which is a conifer or evergreen however that loses its leaves in autumn and that is the larch. The needles turn brown and very brittle and fall off.
The hedges are full of ripening berries in September. There are red hawthorn hips and rose hips and black elderberries and blackberries. These are all excellent food sources for birds, small mammals and insects.
If you have Buddliea bush, also known as the butterfly bush, in the garden you may notice all the butterflies, moths and bees feeding on the lovely purple flowers. They need this extra food as many of these butterflies and moths will hide in a warm place for the winter such as a shed or even in a house. If the adults die they leave caterpillars and pupae to survive the winter ready for the next generation in spring.
There are many other insects that can still be abundant at this time of year. Large dragonflies are hunting or insects and defending territories on riverbanks and wetland areas. The adults do not live long but breed to lay eggs in ponds and rivers.
Craneflies, or daddy-long-legs, are abundant now. Their larvae, known as leather jackets, are very destructive to cereal and root crops but are a very important food source for birds. Ivy is one of the few late flowering plants and so is very important to bees and wasps. Wasps have now finished feeding the larvae in the nest and this is the time they become a nuisance to humans as they replace their natural food with the sugars from fallen fruit and our sweet food such as jam. At this time of year, wasps now have the ability to sting and not die which becomes a concern especially to people who are allergic to wasp stings.
If you go for a walk in the woodlands, you may see or even smell the rotten scent of the fungus known as stinkhorn. This smell attracts flies which land on the sticky tip and feed and then carry the spores to a new location. A very clever way to reproduce. Another clever fungi is the giant puffball which grows in fields. When it is full of spores it ruptures or breaks open and sends the spores in different directions. If there is a strong wind the spores can be spread quite a distance.
Grey squirrels are searching for acorns from the oak tree which they bury and dig up again when there is no food in winter. Of course, they don’t dig them all up and many acorns will grow into trees.
When it gets colder we can keep warm by putting on extra clothes or sitting in a nice warm house! So, how can we help wildlife through the colder months? We can start helping them now!
This is a very important time to help hedgehogs. They need lots of extra food for when they hibernate in winter, so you can put out tinned cat food and water for them. It is now possible to buy special hedgehog food from pet stores.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT give hedgehogs’ bread or milk! It is very bad for them.
It is quite common for hedgehogs to have late litters in September especially if the early litter did not survive. These young unfortunately often do not survive as they have not put on enough weight to get through hibernation.
At this time you may see lots of old bedding outside badger sett entrances and evidence of digging.
Bats are still flying around and feeding on moths and flying insects and it is possible to still see them when it starts to get dark and when it is getting light in the morning. They will not hibernate until the nights get much colder.
Of course, some of the birds that we see in spring and summer have started their long, long journey to Africa and the warmer parts of Europe. Swifts and swallows have already gone with only the house martins staying on until October or even November. These are usually the second brood that will follow the adults back to Africa. Other smaller birds move through the countryside in flocks helping each other to find food.
On the seashore or estuaries at low tide, you may hear the 'pic, pic, pic' of the oystercatcher. These large, black and white waders have long straight orange bills and feed on the small crustaceans buried in the sand or mudflats.
So how else can we help wildlife prepare for winter? Well, we can feed the birds by putting out nuts and seed in feeders. Once the birds get used to where the free food is, they will keep coming back for more!
So as I always say, get out with your books and cameras and see what is out there!.
The plants are dying back to below ground to overwinter as seeds or they look withered and dead above ground. The deciduous or broadleaved trees and shrubs are starting to lose their leaves to protect themselves from winter when water is in short supply and the ground is often frozen. Leaves of trees such as ash, sweet chestnut and beech are turning light green, yellow and orange.
The leaves of such as the horse chestnut turn brown around the edges and the very familiar conkers are falling on to the ground. These seeds are brown and shiny and looked like polished wood. Conkers are encased in spiky green cases which split open allowing the conkers to spill out when they fall off the trees. Sweet chestnuts also have green spiky cases with the fruit inside.
There is always one exception to the rule when it comes to trees losing their leaves and there is one tree which is a conifer or evergreen however that loses its leaves in autumn and that is the larch. The needles turn brown and very brittle and fall off.
The hedges are full of ripening berries in September. There are red hawthorn hips and rose hips and black elderberries and blackberries. These are all excellent food sources for birds, small mammals and insects.
If you have Buddliea bush, also known as the butterfly bush, in the garden you may notice all the butterflies, moths and bees feeding on the lovely purple flowers. They need this extra food as many of these butterflies and moths will hide in a warm place for the winter such as a shed or even in a house. If the adults die they leave caterpillars and pupae to survive the winter ready for the next generation in spring.
There are many other insects that can still be abundant at this time of year. Large dragonflies are hunting or insects and defending territories on riverbanks and wetland areas. The adults do not live long but breed to lay eggs in ponds and rivers.
Craneflies, or daddy-long-legs, are abundant now. Their larvae, known as leather jackets, are very destructive to cereal and root crops but are a very important food source for birds. Ivy is one of the few late flowering plants and so is very important to bees and wasps. Wasps have now finished feeding the larvae in the nest and this is the time they become a nuisance to humans as they replace their natural food with the sugars from fallen fruit and our sweet food such as jam. At this time of year, wasps now have the ability to sting and not die which becomes a concern especially to people who are allergic to wasp stings.
If you go for a walk in the woodlands, you may see or even smell the rotten scent of the fungus known as stinkhorn. This smell attracts flies which land on the sticky tip and feed and then carry the spores to a new location. A very clever way to reproduce. Another clever fungi is the giant puffball which grows in fields. When it is full of spores it ruptures or breaks open and sends the spores in different directions. If there is a strong wind the spores can be spread quite a distance.
Grey squirrels are searching for acorns from the oak tree which they bury and dig up again when there is no food in winter. Of course, they don’t dig them all up and many acorns will grow into trees.
When it gets colder we can keep warm by putting on extra clothes or sitting in a nice warm house! So, how can we help wildlife through the colder months? We can start helping them now!
This is a very important time to help hedgehogs. They need lots of extra food for when they hibernate in winter, so you can put out tinned cat food and water for them. It is now possible to buy special hedgehog food from pet stores.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT give hedgehogs’ bread or milk! It is very bad for them.
It is quite common for hedgehogs to have late litters in September especially if the early litter did not survive. These young unfortunately often do not survive as they have not put on enough weight to get through hibernation.
At this time you may see lots of old bedding outside badger sett entrances and evidence of digging.
Bats are still flying around and feeding on moths and flying insects and it is possible to still see them when it starts to get dark and when it is getting light in the morning. They will not hibernate until the nights get much colder.
Of course, some of the birds that we see in spring and summer have started their long, long journey to Africa and the warmer parts of Europe. Swifts and swallows have already gone with only the house martins staying on until October or even November. These are usually the second brood that will follow the adults back to Africa. Other smaller birds move through the countryside in flocks helping each other to find food.
On the seashore or estuaries at low tide, you may hear the 'pic, pic, pic' of the oystercatcher. These large, black and white waders have long straight orange bills and feed on the small crustaceans buried in the sand or mudflats.
So how else can we help wildlife prepare for winter? Well, we can feed the birds by putting out nuts and seed in feeders. Once the birds get used to where the free food is, they will keep coming back for more!
So as I always say, get out with your books and cameras and see what is out there!.
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