autumnwatch

what to spot this autumn

	first blackberries It is normally better to eat blackberries before the first major frost as they tend to lose their flavour afterwards.   Equally it was considered unlucky to eat them after St Michaelmas day (29th September) because it was believed that when Satan was cast out of heaven he landed in a bramble bush.   Early sightings of blackberries tend to be in cities where it is warmer. more about bramble record this
	last swifts Did you know that swifts pair up for life and meet up again each spring at the same nest site?   Migration - did you know that adult swifts leave first, followed a little later by the newly fledged chicks?   When the weather is poor, swifts can travel long distances to find insects to feed on (even as far as mainland Europe) but they will still return to their breeding grounds afterwards if they have chicks to feed. more about swifts record this
	first ripe haws Hawthorn berries are a deeper shade of red when they are fully ripe and are very soft to the touch.   Many species of birds feed on hawthorn berries and find it a precious winter food.   Fascinating fact about hawthorn – in the great Parliamentary enclosures of the 18th and 19th Century, something like 200,000 miles of thorn hedges were planted in Britain.   Did you know that the Chinese add sugar to hawthorn berries and squash them into flat disk about the size of a 10p and sell them as “haw flakes” (the berry is know as a haw).   Hawthorn fruit crops are likely to be greater if the tree or shrub isn’t suffering from a water shortage. more about hawthorn record this
	first ripe conkers Did you know that a world conker championship has been held in the village of Ashton, Northamptonshire, since 1965?   The first game of conkers was played in 1848 on the isle of Wight. Before this, similar contests took place with hazelnuts and shells.   According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most victorious untreated conker was a “five-thousander” plus. more about conkers record this
	first oak leaf tint It is said that “an oak grows for 300 years, rests for 300 years and then spends the next 300 years gracefully declining”.   Oaks are perhaps less vulnerable to dry weather than shallower-rooted species like beech that tend to suffer more in dry weather.  more about oak record this
	first ivy flowers Did you know that ivy is very unusual in that its berries mature over the winter? Their high fat content provides a valuable early food source for birds such as woodpigeons, starlings and thrush.   Did you know that ivy does no harm to trees and provides lots of benefit to wildlife? So do think twice before cutting it down.   Ivy acts as an important food source for many butterflies, bees, wasps and flies, the nectar produced by the flowers feeding them during the autumn. more about ivy record this

springwatch and autumnwatch

the survey continues all year - here's what else you can look for

	amphibians		grasses
	birds		insects
	flowers		shrubs
	fungi		trees