As the leaves turn from green to gold, autumn has really taken hold here on the Yorkshire Wolds and the wildlife is getting ready for the coming winter.
Animals get ready for cold
Blue tits and great tits, robins and bullfinches feast as the long cold nights approach. The bullfinches gorge on seasonal honeysuckle berries whilst the great tits and blue tits find insects amidst the fruiting branches of bright red guelder rose and crabapple.
In nearby Ash Wood squirrels tussle to prove their dominance. Watch a pair wressle inside a box I made for owls to nest in. This is Ash Tree and both these grey squirrels think it would be a great place to build a drey to shelter in over winter. The fight takes place with one squirrel hanging upside down! Squirrels are feisty, and they’re not afraid to take on pheasants, either! Watch this one ambush a pair of male pheasants. These birds can be very aggressive, but this squirrel isn't afraid to challenge them. My cameras also capture roe deer wandering through the wood, kicking up autumn leaves with their hooves as they pass.
Countryside changes colour
The trees are now a medley of russet gold and yellow green. Meanwhile mushrooms grow like fairytale towers on fallen branches and the woodland floor is a carpet of red and gold. Amidst the fallen logs a weasel drags the crisp, dry leaves into its hidden nest and curls up to sleep this warm autumnal nest - limbs akimbo as it gently snores! A barn owl perches on a nearby branch, the golden feathers on its back offsetting the autumn colours of the Yorkshire Wolds backdrop.
Winter sleeps
I spot a hedgehog searching for food in preparation for its winter hibernation… and I keep an eye out for young hoglets that won’t survive now without a helping hand. Badgers don't hibernate, but they do slow down spend more time in their underground setts. They line them with dry grasses to keep them warm.
1 comment
Thank you for these videos and inspirational art. I too am an artist and nature lover. Your material brings me peace and joy as I continue to recover from a chronic health condition. May the joy you give others return to you tenfold.
Thanks again.
Steph