And so it goes on….summer that is

Both in the woodlands…….

and in the garden, summer continues…..

8th of October and the sun still continues to warm us during the day.  The Weather Forecasters have been issue ing warnings over the weekend predicting that the warm spell was over.  True at night it is certainly colder, but no frosts.  As each day starts and finishes with clear blue skies it does maximise the benefits of the sun.

At dawn the lake started to glow as if autumn was approaching…..

But it didn’t take long for the woods to glow for yet another bonus summer like day, a fresh green blending with the few leaves that have dried and fallen….

 

The Yew tree is now producing its annual crop of berries.  Wax like in appearance they glisten just a little like miniature Christmas baubles…….

It is of course the start of the fungi season.  This solitary Fly Agaric was my first of the year…

It is now that many of the decaying fallen tree trunks act as host to small forests of fungi……

The Tortoiseshell Butterfly must soon head into cover and hibernate over winter. So it is important that it takes on board as much energy from the nectar as it can. Here it is Chives that is the provider, and it must have been a pretty rich source as this Tortoiseshell has been feeding here for most of the day.  It is important that it survives as Butterfly numbers have fallen drastically over the past few years and it only this year that we have seen their numbers start a slow gradual recovery…

Lets hope it is a survivor.

8th October

© David Oakes 2013