During this month you will be able to see the autumn colour in the hedgerows and trees.
The fruit on trees are starting to ripen, like the sweet chestnuts and the acorns.
Jays are notorious at this time of the year for burying acorns and beech mast for their winter hoard. They are part of the crow family; they have a lovely plumage but a horrible screeching warning call.
Also at this time of the year you will be able to see fungi in the grasslands and on fallen or veteran trees.
The only mammals that hibernate during the winter months are dormice, hedgehogs and bats. They will be preparing themselves now ready for hibernation.
However, most mammals do not hibernate for winter and are busy fattening themselves up. Take the badger, for instance. Their main diet through the winter months are earthworms.
They spend many days underground lowering their metabolism, allowing the badger to conserve energy. Where you have badgers, you are less likely to have hedgehogs. This is due to the badger predating the hedgehog.
The badger flips the hedgehog onto their back and targets the underside of their belly – where there are no spikes.”
Mike
