COOLER CONDITIONS SIGNAL WINTER DARKNESS

Not one day has passed this month (October) without rain falling. While this has been fairly represented across the UK, it must mean we’re on for a pretty wet autumn.

The flora is gradually feeling the effects of the wet and cooler weather, and with sunlight in limited supply most plant-based organisms are ‘retreating’ to their winter states.

The wildlife has been generally out of sight so far this month, with only small flocks of house sparrows visibly on a regular basis.

As we near the end of the year I’ll soon start reflecting on how the seasons change the garden, starting with how it emerges from winter into spring.

I’ll do it in quarters, starting with January to March.

With not much free time available due to work, darkness and the children, there’s plenty of work to do in the garden.

Clearing things for winter will have to wait until November, but always being mindful that wildlife will be relying on certain elements of the garden or shelter during the cold weather that winter brings.

Autumn and winter are the times of year that mean viewing wildlife that’s active in the day is limited to weekends.

It also brings opportunities to view nocturnal animals, particularly the mammals and birds (bats, badgers, owls and foxes), all of which have been seen or heard recently.

Let’s hope my daughters finally get to see a fox in the flesh – or ‘real life’ as they both say.

IS IT AUTUMN OR AUGUST?

I go away for a couple of weeks and the weather goes from record breaking heat, to a soggy August in a matter of days.

They should rename August as autumn, given the late evening and early morning feel in the air, not to mention the wet and windy weather.

Over the last ten days the swifts seem to have departed for warmer climes, can’t say I blame them, while the garden birds have definitely quit the breeding season for this year.

I have seen the swallow family, now looking great with seven fledged youngsters, taking to the air and learning the aerobatic skills that a swallow needs.

It’s a fabulous sight, watching the newly-fledged swallows dancing around the skies, flirting with the fields and trees, and all the time chattering away to their parents.

They’ll be off soon and to me it means autumn has already started.

The garden is quiet with the likes of blue tits, great tits, house sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds, robins and wrens only sporadically visiting.

I’ve cut back on extra food for them, apart from a couple of feeders, but perhaps with the weather conditions I’m tempted to put some fat balls out there.

The flora is growing significantly with all the wet and warm(ish) weather, but not the ones I want to.

The sunflowers are not as tall as last year (no they’re not dwarf ones), the tomatoes are only just flowering, and the broad beans have basically failed.

But the grass, rose bushes and ivy, the ones I have to trim regularly, are flourishing – so plenty of time in the garden for me at the moment.

With Bank Holiday weekend coming up shortly, the weather is bound to improve…

The wildlife might not care about this, but the humans who use the garden certainly do!

CHICKS EVERYWHERE

The garden has been filled with chicks recently, both in and out of the nest boxes.

For several days the garden was home to foraging robin chicks, all closely followed by at least one parent.

They didn’t appear frightened by the increasing amount of foot traffic around the garden, disappearing into the bushes while humans were about, before returning to the garden once the all clear was given.

The nest box that’s been used every year since it was put up, has proven successful again, and the great tits that I witnessed ‘reserving’ the prime nesting position in the garden, are the proud parents.

I suspect they may well fledge from Sunday onwards, but with cooler conditions currently setting in, they may wait until early next week when it’s due to be a bit warmer.

I bought the first batch of mealworms, which the robins, great tits and house sparrows made use of. Unfortunately, the magpies raided the storage container early one morning and hoovered the rest up.

Another batch has arrived, and this time the magpies had better stay clear!

The house sparrows have also got a brood of newly fledged chicks, although I don’t know where their nest is.

Finally, the swallows have been seen mating on telephone wires above the garden, so they are obviously content to be back and ready for another family.

There’s not much action in the pond, although the flora is definitely blooming.