Autumn days

An Alder tree that was interfering with our power line had to come down last week, bit sad but on the other hand it'll provide some useful firewood when its dried out. The stump and cut wood are a rich fiery red and the branches were just starting to form catkins - still at that artificial plastic looking stage.
We have up to a dozen Coal Tits at a time coming for the sunflower seeds we put out. They are generally very well behaved birds compared  to the squabbly Blue and Great Tits, even queuing for the feeders on top of the open shed door.
We have had some clear cold nights that have given us excellent views of the Milky Way on our evening walks with Bramble and we have seen plenty of shooting stars (or is it sadly space junk).
The shooting season has now started and we no longer have a garden full of pheasants as their numbers have been thinned out. We do still have a couple of white pheasants though - apparently you have to pay a premium to shoot one.

Very handsome Pheasant that visits the garden.

Pretty but a bit weedy compared to usual pheasants.

Lots of acorns this year so lots of Jays about.

This lovely velvety fungus was nestled at the bottom of a Beech tree.

Alder stump.

Autumn colours and White pheasant.

Coal Tits and Great Tits.

Autumns here

Autumn seems to be very gradual this year with the trees slowly getting their  tawny gold and russet red shades. The ground is completely waterlogged here, in the morning when the sun rises and heats up the ground a bank of mist rolls down the hill behind us engulfing the house and all we can see are the tops of the trees silhouetted against the sky. Just as soon as its here its gone as the day warms up, and then we are out walking Bramble who thinks its a great game chasing the Pheasants. The Pheasants are becoming a real pain in the garden they love all Brassicas and have decimated my cabbages and Brussel Sprouts. I have covered all my winter salads with cloches and fleece to keep them off except this is now providing shelter for lots of slugs. I just pick the slugs off and throw them on the compost heap where they can do something useful. The Squirrels know we keep the bird food in the shed and have gnawed there way through the door, we have had to lock everything away but they still go in just in case we've left anything out. I could go off wildlife. The oak trees behind the house are getting lots of fat acorns that the Jays will love - this is the first time in about three years that I've found any acorns - maybe Oaks love wet weather!