In The Pink

I went into town this afternoon to run a couple of errands and was surprised at how busy it was. As a tourist area it tends to be very quiet from around mid September onwards and many of the restaurants start closing early in the evening but today the sun seems to have brought people out and it was very busy with all car parks full again. The river levels have started to rise and it wont be long before the winter canoeists are braving the rapids through the town. For today however the river remains peaceful and the territory of ducks and gulls only. 

I came across this riot of wild flowers on my walk last week. What a fantastic site for late October. It's a funny time of year here that can vary so much however thanks to a long summer, mild temperatures and a lack of the usual storms we have had by now that tend to strip plants and trees of their foliage this is still here to enjoy and looks set to stay for a week or two yet.

I have just been for a glorious walk up the lane. The trees are really turning now, the sun is out, there is not a cloud in the sky and its cool and windy, perfect!  These are the best of the shots I took and typically when the oaks really started shedding their leaves into the air above my head my camera battery went flat! Never the less I enjoyed the spectacle.

I have always liked that saying, and it is relevant to me at the moment as I find myself ready for autumn, a sure sign that we have had a good and long summer. I now find myself craving wilder weather, rainy days and cooler air (and as such better sleeping!). Spring and Autumn have long been my favourite seasons, although I treasure all four and their contrasting conditions, however as an arborist and amateur photographer Autumn has the added interest of being the best time for spotting fungi and autumnal foliage. I am not entirely sure what to expect from either aspects of the season at this point, its been a while since we had such a dry summer. Wet summers usually produce better fruiting seasons for plants, trees and fungi and I have no idea what impact it will have on autumnal foliage, however I am excited to find out.

Since I took these photos last weekend we have had a week of storms that have stripped the trees of their remaining leaves. It has been a beautiful autumn so I don't feel cheated, and winter gives us an opportunity to appreciate trees varying and delicate branch structures and take a close look at the years extension growth and new buds, waiting to burst next spring.

We have recently returned from our summer holiday into instant Autumn but I have found that I don't really mind that much. We have had such a lovely long summer, and a great holiday, that I am actually ready for the change in the season and am even starting to get excited about Christmas! I do not talk about it too much at home as Mr Dancin does not like to get into things until mid December but as for myself I am enjoying planning gifts and even the preparations in the shops are not bothering me too much. I do think that we get into it a little too early in the UK but I am happy to be taking small steps to the festive season! However between then and now there's lots of other stuff to keep me busy. We are going to see Porcupine Tree in a couple of weeks, and then Nick Harper in November. Yeah!

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I have had this song in my head for days. I am desperate for rain and we have not had any significant rain for over 6 weeks now. I have newly planted trees drooping all over and my clients do not want to pay to water them. It is a costly affair but so very vital. Drought stress can cause irreversible damage to a trees ability to photosynthesise, to feed itself. This is one of my favourite albums ever. I love the whole album without exception and think it to be Sting's best. If you are not familiar with it I strongly recommend you give it a listen. Image Credit: Albumy Rock & Metal

I visited the local reservoir again yesterday to enjoy the strong winds we had by the waters edge, and to see how many birds were there still. There were not many! However these little chaps seem to be there all year round. They are so graceful in flight and remind me of bats. They are however shy and I had to try and sneak up on them to get some shots. The pictures in flight were taken with my big lens without tripod on multi exposure setting. I took just short of 200 shots in all and probably only got about 10 that were good and in focus however it was worth the effort, and thanks to the joys of digital photography an extravagance that I can afford. I had a few more to post but have had trouble all day uploading pictures and am just happy to have managed these two! I hope to be abot to upload a few more the next time! To join in or see other participants in Camera Critters click here !

I visited a local nature reserve a while back and got these shots of the Canada Geese that reside there for the summer. It was a great afternoon. Now that autumn has arrived the Geese are massing for their migration. They fly over our house in ever growing numbers collecting at the larger water holes to prepare for the off, and as usual I find myself wishing I was going with them. I love all four seasons for different reasons. Autumn displays stunning colours, fruit and leaf fall, and brings the sunrise back to the time of day when I am going out with the dogs for their morning walk. But I also yearn to follow the sun to warmer climates and longer daylight hours, and the birds will be missed during the winter. To join in or see other participants in Camera Critters click here !