Sunrise 06:10 Sunset 20:13 BST

The weather has turned chilly and there is definitely a nip in the air, could it be autumn on it’s way already! Well all the signs are there the fruits on the trees are ripening, Hazelnuts, Elderberries, Hawthorn to name a few and of course the Blackberries in the hedgerows, they are looking like there is going to be a very good crop, with the rain we have had it should help them swell. I’m looking forward to Blackberry and Apple pie! We even have had some field mushrooms appear on the lawn, I used them in a meal rather than waste them. I can remember when there were fields covered in them in the autumn, we used to get up before dawn to pick them and then had mushrooms for breakfast, dinner and tea as kids.

The wildlife is still active, there are around 6 or 7 Moorhens around Hayward’s bridge, some are juveniles that are just about fully grown. The Swallows suddenly appear from know here in the mornings, put on and ariel display and then disappear as quickly as they appeared. We see a Kingfisher regularly in the evenings on  ‘our’  corner the babies have gone now to find their own territory. I’m still seeing and hearing the Woodpeckers around and about and in the day we often hear the Buzzards calling as they catch the thermals. I see the Crows who attacked the Barn Owl patrolling the field at Bere Marsh, it must be their patch, I hope the owl keeps away from them.

We have had plenty of Butterflies visit our garden mostly Tortishells this year, when I walk down the garden there are so many flying around, they particularly like the Statice flowers I’ve grown for drying. In the last couple of days I’ve noticed a pair of Painted Ladies and I’ve been chasing them around hoping they would stay still for a photograph, it can be very frustrating, but I did manage to get a couple.