In the Northern Hemisphere which  lies above the equator, September marks the beginning of Autumn and its association with harvesting and  preparations for the cold months ahead. Ireland is in this hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere which lies below the equator  and  includes countries such as Australia and New Zealand it heralds the start of Spring and warm weather.

    One of Autumn's main features in the Northern Hemisphere is the change in the colour of the the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs. They stop producing chlorophyll resulting in falling leaves which helps the plant to conserve water and energy ready for the harsher winter months. Ash trees are the first to shed their leaves while others like beech trees will sometimes retain a few of their leaves throughout the winter. many tree seeds will ripen and fall to the ground,for instance horse chestnuts produce those spiky green shells which contain the shiny brown seed called conkers. Conkers have been traditionally collected to play the game of the same name, where players try to break their opponent's conker.

                                  Beech leaves in autumn      

 Many hedges start to become colourful as they are laden with berries  Rose hips for example  can make a hedge shine out in an orange glow. Their berries are rich in Vitamin C. During the Second world war they were often made into a syrup when fruit was not available or was too expensive to buy, they also had the added bonus of having hairy seeds which naughty children could make into itching powder.!

       It’s not only trees and shrubs that showcase their different colours but also late flowering plants like dahlias, sunflowers, asters and cyclamen, all beloved and visited by butterflies such as the speckled wood and red admirals. Different varieties of  fungi suddenly pop up from nowhere. Many have strange names like the giant puffball which can grow to 80 cms  in diameter or the fly agaric, the mushroom of fairy tales with its bright red cap and white spots. It can be found under birch trees. All fungi should be treated with caution as they can be very poisonous. It is best to look but not touch!This is also the time of year when British mammals become very busy as                    Fly Agaric Mushroom

This is also the time of year mammals all get very busy as they search for food to fatten up for winter. Foxes, badgers and squirrels become extremely active. Squirrels can be spotted burying nuts as a store for winter. Sometimes they pretend to do this to fool thieves like other squirrels and magpies!  Red and grey squirrels do not hibernate but will nest in their dreys if the weather becomes very bad. During September the second litter of hoglets or baby hedgehogs  are very active trying to find as much food as possible  so that they have enough reserves of fat to see them through their hibernation period. Although dependent on weather they are usually safely in their hibernacula  by November. If  worried about a hedgehog  supplementary feeding   of kitten food or dried kitten food -- the meat varieties --- is beneficial to their survival. Bats can still be seen flying at twilight looking for prey although by  November they should all be hibernating. Many deer such as red deer, fallow deer and sika deer have  their annual breeding season  in September.  Red deer especially can become very dangerous as the males or stags fight each other to compete for harems of females.

                     Red Squirrel image by Thomas Campbell     

 And then there is the house spider  They move into our houses to seek shelter and warmth, and the  males are also  looking for ‘girlfriends’!  Remember although they look scary, they are completely  harmless and would prefer to run away rather than risk an  encounter with a human. The most common one is the giant house spider which is  large, fast moving and make large sheet like webs .

        In early September if the weather is warmish  swallows can still be brooding fledglings. Autumn  is also when migratory  birds arrive from the continent  and North America,  bramblings, redwings, fieldfares, waders such as knots and godwits, whooper swans and  brent  geese all  arrive  signalling that summer is truly over.  Our resident  birds fatten up for winter. Goldfinches for example descend onto thistles and teasels to eat the rich seeds. Unfortunately for the female goldfinch only the male with its longer beak can reach the oil fat teasel seeds inside.  Jays-- their Latin name means ‘chattering acorn gatherer’---  now start collecting acorns and like the squirrel they bury them in the ground. One jay can collect 3000 acorns in September alone.  

        September is also known as the harvest month when farmers are occupied  bringing in their crops. Harvest Fairs become  popular with  competitions  ranging from  prizes for the biggest marrow to first prize for the best scarecrow. A form of straw work  known as corn dollies are made worldwide as part of harvest customs  In  Ireland for example  Brigid Crosses are crafted  while on the Island of Skye off Scotland one of the dollies  created is called ‘the lame goat ‘ and of course there is the Harvest or Corn Moon to see, when the moon appears larger and brighter than usual. And finally, some interesting facts about September.It is the only month with the same number of letters as its numerical place on the calendar and it also was  the month in which the first sighting of the lough Ness monster  was seen in 565 AD. So, all and all September is  perfectly  splendid!

                                                                         TO DO

   Enjoy dry Autumn days by going to a wood or forest and crunching through the dried leaves. Watch the leaves come falling down.  If you want a lucky year  ahead, try and  catch a dozen leaves as superstition says that a month of good fortune will follow for each one caught. Collect conkers, beech nuts and acorns. You can plant them into pots with soil and wait until Spring comes when they should emerge as a tiny tree. Examine under decaying logs and leaves for beetles, woodlice, millipedes and other creatures. Draw what you found in your nature notebook  and make notes where you discovered it, weather conditions and the date and time. Afterwards  you can treat yourself to a nice hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles on top. Have fun!