Autumn, the time of year everything starts to shut down and save energy for the long winter ahead.
You may have noticed over the past few weeks, every member of the team here has posted something about fungi. Although not wanting to bore our readers, it's a subject difficult not to mention. Walking along the paths you can't help but notice and be amazed at the different forms, shapes, sizes and colours of this weird and wonderful stuff. There is always something new to see; different varieties of fungi spring up from the earth, then soon disappearing leaving no visible trace. Super important for the environment, fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from dead material, helping to break down decaying wood and plants back into soil where exisiting and new plants can grow. We humans use fungi for many different purposes including food and medicine production.
Fungi at Coombes at the moment pictures by Rachel Edwards
Much of the reserve is still fairly green, other parts are turning into rich reds and golds, some trees are almost completely bare already, leaving a carpet of leaves across the footpaths.
Leafy path picture by Rachel Edwards
If you have been to the reserve recently, you may have seen the small heard of cows we have on the reserve grazing in some of the meadows. An important part of the way we manage our reserve, cows are a natural way of clearing areas of scrub, which if left would gradually turn into woodland. They tread in wildflower seeds, and this together with the way they graze can help to increase diversity of both plants and animals.
Cows on the reserve picture by Rachel Edwards
The buzzards have been making regular appearances, calling and treating our visitors to aerial circling displays above the visitor centre.
If you are lucky enough you might be able to see deer on the reserve at the moment. Roe and Red deer have both been seen by staff and lucky visitors alike. Here is a picture of a deer track clearly visible in the mud after recent rainfall. Keep an eye out as you wander down the paths.
Deer tracks picture by Rachel Edwards
Don't forget to keep writing your sightings in the book in the visitor centre, you never know your sightings could be in our next blog!