Rambling Russells

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...

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 ...

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 ...