Friday August 6th 2010
So here we are in August already and what a month this is; August is one of the best months of our year in my opinion. This is a month where we see so many changes in the countryside, as if the work of all those summer insects is done and after the busy pollinating time, we now see the results in the shape of fruit and seed.
Today I walked around Grizedale Forest, in a mixture of warm sunshine and cool-fine rain that felt good on my face and dripped off the leaves of the trees like sparkling diamonds Grizedale Forest is a magical place at all times of the year, but from August onward it takes on a special feeling, as do all the woods and forests.
I was looking for the recently released Red Kites, 30 of these magnificent birds were released this week, one didn’t survive so there are 29 of them flying around the area, I didn’t see any though, and the only thing I saw in the sky were Ravens.
Already we have blackberries in several stages of their development, ranging from green to yellow, and red to black. Of course it is the inky black fruits of the Bramble that we are interested in, good for jams, pies and wines, as for me I like them in their raw state; straight from the bush. I can eat pounds of them on a good walk as I find them irresistible and I just cannot stop picking them, and remembering children with purple and black-stained fingers, the same colour was always around their mouths even though they always denied eating them!
The fruits are also a very important food source for birds and mammals as they prepare for the cold winter months ahead of us, Thrushes like to build up fat reserves in early autumn and get a good start before the arrival of the Redwings and Fieldfare who fly here from Scandinavia later next month to spend the winter here, those birds will need to feast on any fruit they can find after their migration, in preparation for winter.
Hedgehogs Dormice will also eat the blackberries, and will come out of hiding at night to eat them for the same reason as the birds. Mice, Hedgehogs and even Badgers will also enjoy this annual bounty, which will also include apples, elderberries and haws in a month from now.
The woods are now taking on a distinctive damp smell, this may not sound like a nice thing, but to me it is beautiful as from August onward the woods become wetter and more appealing to me, and have a wonderful earthy feeling about them with damp decaying leaves and wet mosses.
Some leaves are also starting to change on some of the trees now, Birch leaves are turning yellow already, and by late in September they will be raining down like yellow confetti that flutters in the early autumn winds.
There is also a distinctive sound to the woods now, as by August the breeding season is well and truly over, and the birds are not singing like they were in spring. The main sounds this time of year are the high pitched calls of Goldcrests and Coal tits, Long-tailed tits are already sweeping the woods in large groups in search of food amongst the tree branches. Siskin, Blue tit and Great tit can also be heard and I heard a Greater Spotted Woodpecker’s contact call as I walked through the forest, the familiar loud
tac tac of this bird can be heard all year.
As for the highlight of the day, this has to be the Fly Agarics; these are the familiar red fungi with white spots that we often see in children’s storybooks. The crimson caps stand out so well on the forest floor, and the white stems make them even more beautiful and so easily recognisable. This fungus has hallucination properties in the red flesh, and Reindeer are known to eat these as they like the effect they have, as well as humans of course, this should not be practised however due to their poisonous contents. I always look for these fungi in August, as they are so good to photograph, I guess due to their colour and large size.
August is a month where we begin to see the early signs of autumn, a month of fruit and, fungi and changing colours, smells and temperatures, a time to really enjoy a walk where we can enjoy the hedgerows and woods, and marvel at nature’s beauty.
Enjoy
