Ashness Bridge 4th November 2016

Decided to take a trip back to somewhere we had visited many years ago - Ashness Bridge just outside Keswick. It is known as probably the most photographed packhorse bridge in the Lake District and when you get there it is easy to see why, but even before we got there the autumn colours were beautiful.

 

 

 

 We saved the bridge till later ... and went further up the road first to the Surprise View!

 

Certainly well-named!

 

Travelling farther on the hillsides were very colourful in their autumn attire.

 

 

We had a little companion at one point ...

 

 

 

 But back down the hill towards the bridge....

 

 

 

 Past the Bark House Mountain Base ...

 

 

 

... and then suddenly there it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy to see why many people want to photograph it - even on a wet day!

Floral Favourites Oct 2016

October has been calm and sunny. The first half of the month was very dry and often very still, with no wind! We have not had any frost yet but the evenings are definitely feeling cooler. The showers we have had don't seem to have caused much damage to trees or flowers - the autumn colours are still appearing in more and more intensity as the month goes on.

 

 

Our blueberry bush - after giving us yummy blueberries, is now giving us spectacular colour!

The Azaleas and Witch Hazel too are turning lovely colours.

 

 

 

 

The crab apple tree has finally shed its load  - the ground underneath the tree is covered in red confetti.

 

There is a selection of other berries around the garden - of various colours...

 

 

 

 

 

The orange berries of the rowan and the blue of the berberis are however long gone - to the birds!

However there are still some flowers to be seen in the garden ...

 

 

 

 

What a treat to still find so many flowers at the end of October!

 

October

 

Chilly mornings, watery windows, autumn's in the air,

Calmly, quietly, it crept upon us as if there was no-one there.

The leaves turn shades of orange and yellow, others red and gold,

Against the misty, murky backdrop, what a sight they are to behold!

But then the wind gathers up its strength and blows with all its might,

Until the ground is littered with another seasonal sight.

October Wildlife Sightings from a garden in Annan

Very busy with birds in the garden this month. Monthly max as follows:-

Blackbird - 3 male, 1 female, 3 young

Blue tit - 4

Chaffinch - 2 male, 2 female

Coal tit - 2

Collared dove - 2

Dunnock - 4

Goldfinch - 15, 1 young

Goose - 200+ (flying over)

Great tit - 2

Greenfinch - 1

Heron - 1 (flying over)

House Martin - 6  (Last seen 1/10/16)

House sparrow - 30

Jackdaw - 4

Pied wagtail - 1

Robin - 1

Rook - 2

Song thrush - 1

Starling - 30

Willow warbler - 1

Woodpigeon - 2

Wren - 2

The goldfinches have been very regular visitors this month - more than we have ever had before, 15 at one time! They are here morning and evening for sunflower hearts and niger seed  - and in between if the feeders get refilled during the day! They are very pretty birds though.

The coal tits have been very busy too - we sit and watch them take seeds and then bury them in various places around the garden.

3 surprise visitors this month - a greenfinch, a song thrush and a willow warbler. We have had all three of them in the garden before but not for quite a while, so to see them was great.

 

Greenfinch

Willow warbler

One sad report, however, was that we found a dead robin outside the conservatory door. We think he/she had flown into the window. Only a few days before a goldfinch had done the same thing but after sitting on the ground for a while, flew off. We had bird shapes stuck on the windows during the breeding season to help the young birds - but perhaps they need to go back.

It is lovely to hear - and then, see - hundreds of geese flying over. Wish we could identify which geese they are, but they are often too high or too far away.

Because the weather has been so warm this autumn, we have seen red admirals at regular intervals during this month. The last sighting was on the 20th.

 

Red Admiral  (Photo NE Wildlife)

 

DGERC species to look out for in November:-

 

Candlesnuff fungus   Xylaria hypoxylon

 

 

 

Candlesnuff fungus is small, only 3-5cm tall. It is dark grey/black in colour with a pale top. It looks

like the snuffed out wick of a candle and can be found on rotting wood. It is widespread throughout the UK.

 

 

Beechmast Candlesnuff   Xylaria carpophila

 

A close relative of the Candlesnuff fungus, the Beechmast Candlesnuff is found on decomposing seed cases from Beech trees. You need to look deep in the leaf litter for old mast. It is small and thin but is the same colour as Candlesnuff fungus.

Photos & information from DGERC