Exploring the Autumn Countryside

Autumn is almost here!

If you enjoy trampling through orange, russet and gold leaves, darkening your hands from picking blackberries and listening out for a woodpecker or the familiar song of the Robin Redbreast, then this time of year is for you. The hedgerows are bursting with colour as bushes produce their distinctive berries and trees such as chestnut, beech and hazel begin to prepare for spring and start to make seeds that mammals may pick up and hopefully drop on fertile ground faraway. Birds arrive and others leave on migration and animals get ready for the cold of winter. This is the time to explore!

Autumn is the time when leaves start falling from the trees and squirrels begin to collect nuts for the winter. It is also a time when people collect food for the harvest and fruit is ripening, the nights grow colder and it gets dark early. Rather than feel down that summer is over, think of all that you can do now the cooler months are with us! Trekking around our beautiful countryside has to be one.

So what can you look for when you are out rambling? Autumn is the season when the days are rapidly getting shorter and the sun is becoming lower in the sky. So you need to bare this in mind when you are out. The autumn equinox, when day and night are of equal length, is on 23 September. There are often amazing sunsets in Autumn, so look out for them and the stars can seem brighter at night, and on some mornings mist hangs over fields and parks; perhaps a perfect time for a walk? This is the season of nature's plenty.  Examine the wonderful hedgerow harvest of blackberries, rose hips, crab apples, hazel nuts and seeds. Many wildlife species benefit from this fantastic harvest to build up reserves of fat for migration or for hibernation. Autumn serves many purposes.

This is the time of year where birds gather together to form flocks; look out for flocks of rooks and carrion crows on an autumn evening or parties of long tailed tits and consider an early morning walk to catch a spider constructing his web. You will see his web outlined in dew on hedgerows and prepared to be amazed how carefully he creates his web! Consider visiting beech woodland just to catch a glimpse of the magical colours of autumn; leaves are turning yellow, gold, red and orange and are beautiful to see.

Fancy blackberry and apple crumble or maybe blackberry jam? Now is the time to go! While you are out you will spot other wildlife taking advantage of the autumn harvest so look out for the sleek blackbird, mice and voles as well as squirrels, hedgehogs and other hungry birds.

Also, why not gather some conkers and sweet chestnuts? You can split open the green shiny case of the horse chestnut fruit to find the shiny brown conker within and sweet chestnuts are delicious roasted on an open fire.

Another autumn hobby is wild mushroom picking but remember to follow the country code such as close gates, be quiet and respectful, etc. Cut fungi at the base with a knife and only collect a few from each troop as it is good to leave some for others and for nature.

If you fancy stunning views and a historical encounter of times before, then consider Dartmoor for an autumn excursion. Dartmoor is an area of over 250 sq miles of open moorland with a few small villages and river valleys to explore too. Wrap up well though as the elements can be especially strong over Dartmoor and it can be a considerably wet place to explore. Look out for birds of prey, small mammals and the changing colours around you as well as the beautiful Dartmoor ponies.

Consult http://www.walkingindevon.co.uk/ to download free walks in Devon to explore the autumn countryside. This website contains all the information that you need to get walking in the glorious Devon countryside. Similarly http://www.walkingincornwall.info/ also contains free walks in Cornwall for you to have a look at and decide the best walk for you.

Think about the most appropriate time to go for a walk. Perhaps a morning when the dew will show the appearance of many fungi from fairy rings and puff balls to the shiny red caps of fly agaric mushrooms that have successfully pushed their heads through the fading yellow leaves that are on the ground all around. Red admiral butterflies additionally are special to spot. Look out for them feeding on ivy flowers and fruits that have fallen while the colourful Jay is around looking for acorns as is the squirrel. They are storing food for the coming months that will be colder in temperature.

Cornwall is awash with cycling, horse-riding and walking trails, long and short, easy or more arduous. So leave the car at home and take the fabulous Discovery Trail in Newquay, which stretches all the way from Hollywell Bay to Mawgan Porth. Fantastic! What a way to explore what autumn has to offer.

Consider easy walks to Dartington from Totnes, or maybe exploring Castle Drogo and Sharp Tor from Fingle Bridge. A little harder walk is Countisbury and Watersmeet from Lynmouth and don’t forget the Plym valley from Plym Bridge. Also if you wish to gaze upon stunning autumn trees and foliage, think about visiting Saltram Park and Hardwick Wood. Take a look at http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_list/Devon/ for more examples.

Autumn is meant to be an abundance of beautiful colours, birds chirping and singing and seeds and leaves dropping to the floor for you to wade through. Why not take your camera and capture autumn moments on film to share with your friends and family. You never know what rare sighting you may snap that will have them in awe of your exploring capabilities!

Enjoy our beautiful autumn countryside today.