Now that the clocks have been put back and we’ve had a few sharp frosts, winter is fast approaching. Even so, the leaves on many trees have been slow to turn and there are plenty of autumn colours to enjoy on crisp sunny days this month.
Visit the coast to witness the autumn migration
This is also a good time to visit the coast and see some of the geese, ducks and waders that have arrived in Dorset to exploit the varied food sources along our coastline.
Brent geese have now completed their epic journey from their breeding grounds in arctic Russia, for some a distance of 8,000km, and flocks can be seen at the Fleet, Poole Harbour and Christchurch Harbour.
The thick beds of eel grass below the low tide mark form an important but not the only source of food to sustain them through the winter and build them up for their return journey next spring.
In contrast, shelduck with their striking plumage are a familiar bird in Dorset as they breed in coastal areas each summer. However, they have an unusual moulting strategy and whilst a few guardian adults look after the ducklings in June, the remainder of the population from Britain and Ireland fly to Helgoland Bight to moult on the vast and safe sandflats before returning to our estuaries and harbours in autumn.
A tight flock of dunlin glinting in the sunshine as they twist and turn before coming into land on a harbour mudflat is another spectacle worth experiencing. As day length shortens, they must give themselves maximum feeding time with their ‘sewing machine’ action to pick snails, worms and crustaceans from the mud before the rising tide forces them to retreat to higher loafing areas. Numbers in Dorset can vary through the winter as they respond to severe weather and changes in food availability across the country.
Glorious autumn trees - but look a little closer!
Within the Dorset countryside as deciduous trees loose their leaves, ivy our only evergreen climber becomes very obvious. Although it can envelop tree trunks and hangs on with adhesive suckers, it isn’t parasitic and only becomes a genuine problem if the tree becomes top heavy and encounters strong winds.
On the plus side, ivy provides nesting sites for small birds in summer and at this time of year a reliable source of pollen and nectar for various species of bees and other insects.
There is even a bee named the ivy bee which is somewhat smaller than a honey bee and has white stripes across the abdomen. Walk past flowering ivy on a mild and sunny day and stop to look at all the insect activity.
If you are lucky enough to spot an ivy bee you can also record your sighting to the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society
Most coniferous trees are evergreen, but the larch and one or two other conifers are deciduous, loosing their leaves in autumn. Before this happens, the bright green needles produced earlier in the year change to a golden colour and are an impressive sight, whether seen as a specimen European or Japanese larch in a park or in a forestry plantation where the hybrid between the two is often planted.
Can you spot an autumn fox?
Foxes can be quite active during the day in autumn as they prepare for winter and the breeding season. I watched one recently from a hide overlooking Poole Harbour as it hunted in the salt marsh. It came closer and closer, a study in concentration, before successfully pouncing on and eating a vole close to the hide. Only then did it become aware of me and after a long stare, beat a hasty retreat.
Watching wildlife from your armchair
And finally, it isn’t essential to go outside to observe our wildlife. There are several different species of house spiders, some of them quite impressive in size. Autumn is their mating season so the males may be seen running across a room in search of a female.
They make thick web sheets in a dark corner and catch flies and other small insects. In addition, you may have what are often called daddy-longlegs spiders in the corner of a room where the wall meets the ceiling. They build very fine sheet webs and catch flying insects.
Written by John Wright
Dorset Wildlife Trust Member & Volunteer
Want to enjoy autumn in Dorset?
Make sure you have a look at our special Autumnwatch webpage to find events and places to visit this autumn, and you can now send your Autumn photographs to our free Flickr Group
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