Early autumn highlights

Well, the summer holidays are over but if you like blackberry-picking, crunching fallen leaves and stomping in muddy puddles then there’s no need to be sad!

September and October bring with them a whole new set of memorable experiences and wildlife encounters. Many creatures will be heading to Fen Drayton Lakes as they search for a welcoming home for the cold dark days ahead.

Wildlife from newts to bats are out busily feeding up before they tuck themselves away somewhere sheltered for the winter. Fungi are popping up alongside paths throughout the reserve while the leaves start to turn brilliant shades of yellow, red, brown and everything in between.

Fungi by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

At the moment you can often spot bright goldfinches feeding on the dead teasel heads in front of the car park, perhaps hearing their characteristic twittering before they appear (follow the link for a sound clip). We've also seen a bittern appear fleetingly above the Holywell Lake reeds several times in the ten days or so.

There are also still late butterflies and dragonflies are on the wing - take a stroll around Ferry Lagoon or the river on a warm day.

Alternatively, I'd highly recommend a trip down to Moore Lake for the sight and sound of hundreds of ducks gathering for the winter, including the musical whistling wigeon. The great white egret also continues to hang out in the middle of Moore Lake or  Ferry Lagoon most often.

As temperatures drop and everyone, wildlife and people alike, starts to make homes cosy and safe for the winter, there’re lots of ways you can lend nature a helping hand. Just go to rspb.org.uk/homes – you can download instructions on all kinds of backyard projects, from the incredibly easy to some satisfying challenges.

'Frogs welcome' by Eleanor Bentall (rspb-images.com)

Here’s one idea that takes no time at all: create a dead log pile. We've lost lots of mature trees and dead wood from our environment, which are really valuable to many bug and fungi species which rely on them for food and shelter. Bigger creatures like to hide there, too.

By creating a logpile in your garden, you can help nature hang on. Stack up dead wood anywhere in your garden and you'll be doing something really easy that's great for wildlife. If you're short on space for a logpile, a container of dead wood is a brilliant solution.

If you want to get your teeth into something more, you could try creating a winter shelter for frogs and toads or a hedgehog home. Again, just head to rspb.org.uk/homes for tailored steps for your garden. And if you do we’d love to see photos of any of your creations!