AUTUMN BLASTS IN WITH STRONG WINDS

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Autumn has blasted us with a very big storm, and brought some very warm temperatures with it.

Storm Callum dragged warm weather from Africa with its really strong winds, creating summer like conditions in parts of the country and delivering huge amounts of rain for others.

The garden got the warm weather, plenty of rain and some good sunny spells.

The wind has mainly been a southerly, so as the garden is situated in the lea of a large hill and is northerly facing, it meant it wasn’t too affected by the blowy conditions.

However, it didn’t escape from all the winds recently. As these two images show, westerly winds have taken down the vast majority of the leaves – meaning I had to get the big brush out to clear the patio and path.

The third image is of the same date as the second image, but in 2015.

The pond took plenty of leaves and water, so is filling up nicely; although it has meant clearing a lot of the leaves out of the water.

I hope the pond will be full in the next month, but it’s already seeing wildlife jump at the chance to move to a ‘new pond’; the first being pond skaters.

The garden birds have spent plenty of time away from the garden, with many not coming at all while the milder October weather was around.

Today they have come back, and it’s no coincidence that the temperatures have taken a big dip, with night temperatures predicted to be quite cold this week.

AUTUMNAL SIGNS ABOUND

The dark nights are really rolling in now and the last of the summer visitors have flown south, leaving the garden birds to the skies around the garden,

The pond is almost full now, thanks to the recent spate of heavy rain showers, so this weekend my result in a trip to the garden centre for some flora to help create and environment fit for small creatures.

Yesterday I saw a few trees starting to turn the beautiful autumnal orange, gold and yellow colours, albeit the vast majority are still fully green.

Given the recent drop in temperature an Indian Summer is now unlikely, so we could be set for some glorious autumn colours in the coming weeks.

There’s still not much activity in the garden, except for a small flock of house sparrows and a few blue tits.

I can hear robins every so often, but nothing really of great tits, goldfinches, dunnocks, blackbirds or the local wrens.

The owls are still heard every so often nearby, but they must have found more favourable hunting grounds elsewhere recently.

As we all start to turn out the winter coats, the wildlife is slowly starting to get ready for the colder seasons of the year.

A bit like use humans!

DARK NIGHTS CLOSING IN

This week has been quite cool at night and all but a few of our summer visitors are taking fight to warmer climes.

I saw the final group of swallows make their final swoops around the garden and surrounding fields, they even created such a noise that I went outside to investigate if an aerial predator was around.

I couldn’t see one so put it down to them saying goodbye until next year – I know that’s extremely unlikely.

The garden hasn’t seen much activity with most birds still feeding in the surrounding countryside, although a number of blue tits are visiting for a short period of time most days.

As it’s a quiet time of the year, I’ve dug the pond out and have been waiting for the rain to fill it naturally, rather than tip tap water in to it.

In the coming weeks I’ll get some weed and plants, and hope it’ll attract some insect and even amphibian life in the coming weeks and months.

I hope it will also act as another way of learning about wildlife for my girls, as they do take interest in the wildlife around the garden and often feed the birds with me.

This is the pond in its current state, and I’ll upload more in the next blog, hopefully.

The final bit of news is about the sunflowers, with a few now about ten feet tall. The birds should have a field day in autumn when the seeds are ready.

It’s surprised me the height of some of the flowers, because earlier this summer I didn’t think many would make it.

The tomatoes have produced a few examples of fruit, but I think the garden doesn’t quite have the right space and condition for growth now.

Autumn and winter will be time for clearing the garden up, including trimming back the expanding hedges and ivy growth.

However both are providing good cover for wildlife and may possibly be used next year for nesting – fingers crossed!