As the first wafts of an autumnal scent started to drift around the garden, so the signs of the third season of the year became more apparent.
In the airs above the garden I’ve seen large numbers of swallows, almost entirely youngsters with their shorter forked tails, chattering away as they chase food.
They seem effortless in the way they dance across the sky and all the time accompanied by one of my favourite sounds of nature, swallows nattering to each other.
Given the weather next week is looking quite settled and mild, I expect a few swallows to be still showing their aerobatic skills for a little longer, although it’ll once again be a sad day when they finally depart for another seven months away.
While there have been some reports of swallows staying in the UK throughout winter, I don’t expect them to stick around here. Perhaps the warmer southern counties near to coast are the best chance, if indeed any do decide to stay.
The hedgehog(s) haven’t been seen for a few days in the garden, although one of the neighbours is still seeing them more regularly.
I’ll put more dog food out now, in addition to the water bowl, to help them/it fatten up for winter. Finding out where it calls home might be beyond me at the moment.
In the garden, just like in the wheat fields around the house, that harvesting has been in full swing.
All the broad beans have been collected and one or two tomatoes too; but once again they have been poor again this year.
So indeed, have the sunflowers with only one making it to show its sunny self, and even that one is not fully open yet!
Finally, another new nest in the garden, taking the total this year to five, in addition to the robin ivy next, goldfinch bush nest, great tit nestbox nest and woodpigeon tree nest.
While the bird remains anonymous, I suspect the layout of the next suggests a robin.
The video would show why I think it’s a robin, because the entrance is rather open, after I created it following the demise of the first two robin broods.
It’s not the robin family that successfully fledged a brood from the ivy because they definitely nested again in there, but it’s perhaps the robins that are now trying to stake a claim to the garden against the ivy family.
This could be one to watch over autumn and winter.
