~Beautiful Autumn~

Beautiful  Autumn

(Author Unknown)

Autumn is a season of much change, when nature makes preparations for the cold winter months ahead using a variety of methods. September is often the month when trees begin to take on their autumn colours. The exact time depends on what kind of summer, wet or dry, hot or cold, has gone before. Fruits of all kinds are now ripening and can be seen fat and colourful on the trees and in the hedgerows, along with a large variety of fungi.

During autumn flowers begin to fade, although there are some specialist plants that can be found only at this time of year, for example wild parsley and ivy which bloom in autumn providing vital sources of nectar for butterflies and the last wasps. We can witness a lot of change in the species of birds that can be seen, as we lose our migrants to warmer countries. However, some new arrivals join us from colder countries.

Many small mammals, such as hedgehogs and squirrels, hibernate during the winter. This means that they go into a sleep like state by lowering their heartbeat and slowing their breathing. The body temperature is lowered and energy expenditure is greatly decreased, sometimes to even lower than during normal sleep, to cope with the lack of food intake. Animals that hibernate during winter spend autumn feasting. This ensures that they have adequate fat stores and are healthy enough to get through the cold foodless winter ahead. Insect numbers drop dramatically during the autumn, as the nights are chilly and many die. Some insects like bumble bees and ants hibernate during the winter.