23rd September - dressed to impress!

Its wonderfully colourful at this time of the year!  Down in the wood yesterday I was met by a delightful little nuthatch in his autumnal best - all the muted shades of the season.  He didn't seem at all shy, just scuttling up and down the tree trunk in search of tiny insects in the bark.  I watched him for some time until he moved onto another hunting ground... Christian Dior and Chanel look to your laurels - Mother Nature is on good form!

Cheeky little nuthatch

Down at the base of the tree the "lords and ladies" were not going to be outdone in their finery.  The berries of the cuckoo pint - a type of arum lily - they make a fabulous splash of bright red against the browns and golds of the woodland floor.  But beware, they are VERY poisonous!  I often wonder how the small creatures of the woodland are able to interpret mother nature's messages so easily: sometimes red means "Hey, look at me, I'm red and I'm really good to eat!"  Other times it means "Look at me, I'm red and really dangerous ... don't come near!"  Just more of the mysteries that make the natural world so wonderful!


"Lords and Ladies"


 Sadly, I wont be getting down to the woods for a few days now as I shall be teaching a Masterclass ... I bet there will be a few changes when I get back...