Young Ash

Autumn has arrived with a vengeance. The wind has turned to the north and Tuesday's sunshine has been replaced with overcast skies. Around Peterborough crops have been harvested, verges have been mown and the soil tilled, leaving wide expanses of warm umber earth underneath the grey clouds.

But in the shelter of Southey Wood a few plants were in flower - Common Dog-violet, Wild Liquorice and Devil's-bit Scabious melding aspects of spring, summer and autumn.The weather has been too dry for many fungi to appear, but Sulphur Tuft was starting to emerge from fallen logs, while a brightly-coloured Knot-grass caterpillar was spotted on its way to find a pupation site. The bird life was quite subdued, but the unmistakable call of a Crossbill attracted my attention - I had a brief glimpse of it in the top of a fir tree, and then it was gone. Later a pair of Ravens flew low overhead, the lead bird holding something delectable in its huge beak.

The wood is looking a little battered after the summer management, but hopefully the newly created open spaces will provide opportunities for the flora and fauna next year.