Fall

Most of the leaves have left the trees and litter the the ground around them. Lying in the water filled ditches reflecting on where they came from. Fall is almost done.

Fall

Recent rough weather marks the beginning of the end for fall. Each season has it's own distinctive face and personality, and the face of the forest is changing. Autumns' window begins to close. As the russet coloured bracken battered by rain bows out and the canopy's thinning allows light into the under-story and reveals views through the stands, so the forest is slowly adopting it's open winter persona. It's noticeably quieter out here now. And why not. It's been a difficult year for forest and it's inhabitants, so with rutting over and the growing season done, the forest world retires for a well deserved period of R&R until the seeds awaken on springs' approach. Anyone wanting to catch the last hurrah of the autumn tints shouldn't leave it too long, each day the depth of leaf litter deepens. 

Early fall

You'd be forgiven for thinking you were walking through the early autumn forest out there now. The bracken is draining it's colour, turning yellow to orange brown in hue; and the trees appear to have thrown in the towel early too, their leaves also adopting autumnal tints and even beginning to fall; it's mainly the Silver Birch though not exclusively by a long way. It's not right, nor does it feel so. It's quite chilling to consider how climate change could change our green and pleasant land, change it's very essence, it's flora and fauna, and of course it's seasons. You could argue that the changes we're witnessing this year have been the consequence of a dramatic heatwave, a once in a however many years event; you 'could' argue. Although the message that this is just the beginning of a climate crisis and that irreversible change is under way is quite compelling. I've noticed for a long time now that the seasons are changing, and have thought we'll end up with longer transition seasons of spring and autumn, whilst summer and winter contract becoming far shorter. Or of course that could just be wishful thinking on my part as I favour spring and autumn, so it's more comforting to imagine that rather than the season-less total climate breakdown that possibly awaits us. Nice out though. 

 

Reluctant to leave

Oaks; always late to the party, and always the last to leave.

 

Burley Old Fall

Burley Old is my most visited roam, and one of my most beloved; I regularly use it as a litmus test for the wider forest.  Stood amongst it's stands I can see that 'fall' is approaching fast in the forest; soon the remaining canopy, which dwindles daily, will be empty, the boughs naked until the buds burst forth with new life in spring. A rest well deserved; it's been another difficult year out here, failed wild harvests, boughs and trunks slighted by storms and everything feeling off kilter. Still, I have to believe (difficult as that's becoming) that better times will come and the forest community will endure. In the meantime, each season brings it's own unique beauty to the forest and I look forward to and relish them all...Winter nears.

Autumn's peaked

Autumn's peaked. The autumn tints occupy a brief window, these colours wont last long now, some are already going over. Soon the fall will take them all.

Canopy

Fall-en.

Nearly

The colour changes in the forest are accelerating, out on the heath the bracken and heather are russet hued, whilst amongst the stands every shade of orange is represented. The colour change is particularly evident when a deciduous tree finds it's home amongst it's coniferous brethren. I love autumn's contrasting colours, nature's glorious last hurrah after a job well done. It's always difficult to predict whether or not the stands will achieve their potential magnificence colour-wise, that perfect splendour, there are finely balanced factors at play, sunlight, temperature and moisture all affect the breakdown of chlorophyll. Or how long the show will last, the wind has been wreaking havoc through the stands of late, branches down wherever you roam and a general hollowing the canopies throughout. Time will tell. Still, in the meantime the forest gorgeous anyway.

Yellow leaf road

Follow, follow, follow, follow, ... follow the yellow leaf road. The fall has begun with the first to show being the first to go.  The Birch leaves drain to yellow almost in the turn of your back, and helped by the recent winds, are easily dislodged from their twiggy homes to litter the narrow woodland paths of the common.