Where does the time go?
We're well into Autumn now and I'm enjoying the beautiful autumnal
colours though there are hints of the winter to come. I'm now being
reminded by my youngest child of how many days it is till Christmas
in a daily report! Hedgehogs have been busy fattening themselves up to gain enough
weight to successfully go into hibernation along with other animals too.
Squirrels don't hibernate but delight in the abundance of nuts on the
hazel trees and caching them all over our garden, hiding them for another day. The birds are on a bit of a frenzy on our feeders - they seem more bolshy,
so perhaps the survival of the fittest is about to begin, to cope with the
harsh months ahead. Fox, deer and red squirrel have a stunning autumnal glow about them,
as the sun highlights the richness of the orange and red tones in their coats. Oaks, beech, larch, willows, maples are just some of the trees showing
off their autumnal colours of golden yellow and tones of auburn. Grasses
are beginning to mellow, but evergreens like pines, and shrubs like ivy
and hollies hold onto their deep greens for the winter.
Magical appearances pop up in our garden and woodland of varieties of fungi.
My favourite has to be Fly agaric, the ‘fairy toadstool’. They’re so beautifully
formed and with such striking colours.
I'm truly spoilt for choice as I explore my wild place looking for inspiration of
what to draw and paint, or trying to decide how my next children's wildlife
story will unfold. I love to photograph and sketch my findings. I suspect my
other half thinks I'm just wandering about outside. Honestly I am working, but absolutely loving it at the same time. Things to look out for ● Conkers ●Autumnal colours ●Fungi varieties ●Nuts and berries Things we can do for wildlife ● Check bonfires before lighting, as hedgehogs may have chosen to
hibernate there. ● Offer a bird feeding station, with a water supply ● Create an undisturbed area in your garden with branches and leaves
to offer a safe place for hedgehogs. HEDGEHOGS If you have hedgehogs visiting your garden offer water and cat meat
( not fish), they should be a good size now ready to hibernate. If they
look small or are wandering about during the day, they need help.
Contact your nearest vet, or the Scottish wildlife Hospital at Dumfries
even just for advice.
Till next month -
Happy Wildlife Watching!