Indian Summer

What a fabulous month September has been with high temperatures and very little rain. This extension to Summer has brought good numbers of Adders into the sunshine. One day alone I had six females enjoying the early morning warmth before their long hibernation ahead. The warmth has also triggered the best display of Autumn Crocus I have ever seen locally. The sad news, of course, is that they only stay upright for a few days before the stalks collapse and they disappear into the leaf litter. Click here
The most surprising event of the week was watching a pair of House Martins still feeding young in their nest on the 21st September. The odds of this family party not making it to their wintering grounds at this date must be considerable. I wish them well.