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September Ramblings

8th October 2024 @ 9:09am – by Henbury Webteam
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grey feather bird on brown wooden stickmacro shot of mushroom

Sorry, Horrid of Henbury , for the late publishing of this autumnal story!

Occasional Notes from a Dog Walker

September 2024
The month began hot and oppressively humid. Dot the Dog was decidedly lethargic – me too.

Even so, it was clearly autumn. The birds coming to the feeders were many fewer in number, presumably having mostly gone off into the fields to moult. Toadstools appeared briefly on the grass verges – "here today, gone tomorrow".

The heron returned to the large flood and again seemed to be finding things to eat. This time it was standing on the "island" that had appeared in the middle as the water dried up (although there was still a sizeable area covered). A few showery days had made no obvious difference, and a scorcher promptly followed.

The cattle departed (much to Dot the Dog's puzzlement). The following day the first geese appeared – only four, but no doubt more to come. They flew in from due west and then veered south-east, presumably heading for Redesmere; I presume they had some sort of landmark to steer by because the change of course looked quite deliberate.

A few days away (Anglesey – pampered in hotel!) for S and me. Dot the Dog went to the concentration camp/health farm and was subjected to the indignity of a bath – she prefers to swim in muddy and malodorous ponds, but she looked quite happy as the staff brought her out on our return.

Over the fields towards Whirley again. DtD took a long time over her first walk – investigating new scents and animal tracks. Autumn leaves were already falling and a mixed group of ten or a dozen or maybe more swifts and swallows (hard to count because of their aerobatics) swooped over the flood, feeding up for their long migration to come. Even so, there were many fewer than in past years. A swan visited the flood, dabbled a bit, preened and then headed off in the direction of Redesmere.

The tiny deathcap fungi appeared on the lower trunks of trees again and along the track to the cottages (here today, gone tomorrow)as leaves fell more and more. The year was clearly moving on, and Dot the Dog signallled earlier bedtimes! The whitebeam tree on the grass verge in front of our house was plundered for its red berries by the birds and the leaves turned first yellow and then brown in a matter of days. We always reckoned that the main leaf fall would happen at the first frost, but the leaves had begun to drop already in a rather desultory way.

Autumn took real hold as the month drew to an end. The track past the cottages became strewn with fallen sweet chestnuts from the tree in Moss Cottages garden – unfortunately they never reach edible size (but big ones will soon be in the shops...)!

A chilly but very bright sunny day came – although the air was cold enough to make my fingertips tingle a buzzard had found a good thermal updraft and even though I could hear it I could not see it, Dot the Dog had obviously latched on with ears and eyes and I saw her head move as her gaze followed an invisible (to me) bird.

Last day of the month – heavy rain followed overnight stormy winds; for once the Met Office and BBC forecasts agreed and got it right.

As ever

Horrid of Henbury

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