Nature Notes: September/October 2026

THE TURNING

"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." Henry David Thoreau

Highlights of September: Rain! The return of nature's sparkle through fresh showers and glistening dew, cleansing the air as well as the leaves of trees and plants, allowing us all to breathe again; the reappearance of green grass; dragonflies; reds, pinks and ink purples of rosehips, black bryony, dogwood, spindle berries, elderberries, blackberries, sloes and holly; warm temperatures; the incredible variety of fabulous fungi in all shapes and sizes; wrens whizzing in and out of bramble; deer and pheasants foraging together; water boatmen; a violet ground beetle; a red campion catch-fly - with fly; herons stalking the low water lines of our streams; deer grass beds (lays) at the foot of hedgerows; crimson dawns and golden sunrises over veils of white mist; the harvest moon; sunlit cobwebs; the scent of pine and velvet earth.

Lowlights: Dangerous heat/stress related tree bough drop; a great tit creating a hole in my bedroom ceiling - a behaviour apparently sometimes associated with boredom relief when natural food is low; gaps in hedgerows caused by leaf scorch and drought; the spread of oak powdery mildew; the false autumn of July and August leading to the early ripening of afore-mentioned berries, as well as crab apples, beech nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts, meaning they'll be little or no food for migrant birds and our native wildlife for winter; finding two, still warm beautiful and perfectly intact dead song thrushes just days apart - one on a footpath and one by the side of a road; darkening mornings and evenings; red ant stings whilst kneeling.

Key Messages: Experts have warned that the impact of extreme temperatures on wildlife will be felt into winter and El Nino is set to be the strongest in living memory, so we need to look out for ALL of our neighbours.

What you can do:

- Continue to provide food, water and shelter

- Look out for adult frogs in longer grass if you're cutting your lawn again before the winter

- 'Forsake the Rake' and leave fallen leaves as over-wintering habitats for butterflies, moths and other insects.

- Be extra vigilant on rural roads as this month our larger mammals are at peak risk from road traffic accidents.

- Welcome ladybirds trying to find safe places to 'hibernate' - they don't bite humans, sting, or damage building structures.

- Celebrate our badgers and honour the crucial role they play in nature with The Badger Trust.

What to look forward to this 'Brocktober':

An ever-changing kaleidoscope of autumnal colour; stargazing under dark skies; conker championships; the arrival of bramblings, redwings, fieldfares. geese and other winter migrants from Europe and further afield; more fungi; green shield bugs turning bronze; badgers collecting grass and bracken to make their setts cosy.

I pray this October is a turning point for you too, and one which is both snug and exhilarating!