Autumn has fallen. Not with the gentle floating of a golden-brown leaf settling gently on the ground, but the subtlety of a lead pipe delivered by a cold-blooded thug. With a resounding thwump, leaves have carpeted the ground overnight, falling only slightly faster than the temperature.
Not that I'm moaning. It was a welcome change to be cycling through cold rain. A good way to wake me up on a dark Monday morning. A good way to feel connected with the changing seasons. Officially British Sumer Time ends on the 28th of October when we all put our clocks, ovens and the various other digi-time things we all seem to own back an hour. but for me. Summer is history and it's time to wrap-up in oilskins and test the heating system.
There are various games we can all play to enjoy our new season. Why not keep a rain-log. stick a jam jar on your windowsill to measure rainfall. If the jam jar vanishes, it's an indication that we've had strong wind. If we get a dry spell, gather and sort leaves by colour, then make a mosiac picture in shades of green, brown and yellow. No doubt we'll soon see a rush by the media to laugh at Health and Safety rules that stop us from blinding each other during games involving conkers.
Try to avoid trimming ivy that is coming in to fruit; or that soon will be. It's an essential winter food supply for many species. If you do HAVE to trim ivy, try to leave some fresh growth and make a mental note to trim that next year in a sort of rotational trimming regime. Of course if the ivy is threatening to push its way into any architecturally vulnerable spots such as window frames, air-vents or under cladding, then it must be cut back a sensible distance. Ivy can provide a protective, insulating layer that helps keep your house warm, so please don't listen to those who demonise it as a house wreaker. Properly managed, it's a valuable asset.
Autumn is the time when wildlife takes stock (sometimes literally) and prepares to shut-down for winter. Hedgehogs and dormice will be lining nests. Squirrels forgetting where they stashed nuts, and bugs will be digging deep into bark, dead-wood or the soil. On the plus-side. It's time to dig-out all those lovely warming soup and stew recipes. A new one I'm dying to test is a caramelised parsnip tart. All those extra calories are needed to keep us warm. The same's true for birds. Hanging out high-energy fat balls for birds to peck (don't be childish), and ensuring seed feeders are topped-up will be a great support for your local bird population. Birds are far smarter than many credit. Once they've established there's a regular food supply, they will return to it, so once you've started putting out food for them, be prepared to maintain supplies.
As an example of avian intelligence I'll point you to a new study which has found birds give their offspring names .. well Venezuela's spectacled parrotlets, Forpus conspicillatus, do. Researchers studied the calls of parents and chicks and their conclusions are compelling. Follow it through and it suggests that birds have a sense of self and the ability to identify others, especially relatives. These are characteristics that are rarely attributed to wildlife, so having proof in one species makes you wonder if it's true of all species. Those blue tits nesting in your ivy, the tit family surviving the cold weather thanks to the high-energy food you put out, may be singing, "Hey Dolores, the fat balls are out. Bring the kids, Trevon and Siobham. We'll have ivy berry for pudding to make sure we get through another bitter night!"