Each equinox is every three months and on the 21/22nd of either September, December, March and June. The September one is the first day of Autumn, when the hours of 'light' and 'dark' are equal ie 'equinox'.
In these days of central heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and all seasonal foods, it is difficult to understand how important the changing seasons were to our forebears a couple of centuries ago, let alone a couple of millennia back and beyond.
We look forward to Christmas as a time of plenty set in the depths of winter, I doubt they did.
Experts from the Forestry Commission say soggy weather over the summer is likely to give way to a colourful and lengthy autumn.
The warm, dry spring could have prevented the sugars forming in trees which create the rich hues in their leaves. But the wet summer weather has helped trees to catch up, say experts, and it should result in a stunning display, even if it comes slightly later than normal.
Maple species are expected to kick off this year’s show, with beeches and oaks giving the nation a ‘second autumn’ later into November.
Experts are also anticipating a crescendo of colour which will come around the last two weeks in October, although it is dependent on heavy rains and wind staying away.
So we shall see, the leaves on the trees on the reserves are slowly withering as they release their nutrients back to the mothership, but are not showing yet their autumnal hues.
If you have in the coming weeks great images of autumn leaves please email them to northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk and we will put them on the blog.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.