October - overview
October
is the month where autumn is now well underway and early morning
frosts are a reminder of winter to come. The days will become
noticeably shorter as the month progresses. Autumn colour can
be seen as the trees and hedgerow leaves change.
What to see
Garden birds such as the
Blackbird,
Blue
Tit and
Robin
will be seen more frequently as their need to find food increases.
This time of year is a good time to start feeding them. The start
of the month
Meadow
Pipits can sometimes be seen in large numbers as they
migrate to other areas.
Redwing
and
Fieldfare
will be migrating from Northern Europe to winter in Britain.
The
leaves on Trees and hedgerows start to change colour to a yellow
- gold colour. The reason why this happens is that during the
summer when there is plenty of sunlight the leaves produce chlorophyll
This is the green you see and it converts the sunlight into energy.
The red orange pigment is there in the leaf but is covered up
by the green, in the autumn there is less light and so the making
of chlorophyll stops and the green fades away to reveal the red
- orange colours underneath.
As the tree canopy is gradually lost
Grey
Squirrels can be seen moving around in woods, busy looking
for acorns. This is the time
Jays are also active burying acorns to eat during the
winter.
October is a good time to see
fungi,
cool damp days you will find many types in woodland and fields.
Fewer insect will be seen as the cold weather sets in, early
in the month if the weather is warm you can still see butterflies
such as
Red
Admiral.
Key dates:
Common
Darter's seen mating and oviposting, 10th October 2007
Red Admiral butterflies seen Haworth, 17th October 2006
October cums but wunce a - year, So here's to brawn October
beer.
Bill o 'th' Hoylus October 1873
Nah dykes are filled, an' wi' hur rainy pranks. The rizin rivers
owerflows thare banks.
Bill o 'th' Hoylus Oktober 1874
If you have any dates, information about weather or observations
about nature, stories or folklore relating to this month contact
us and if suitable will add to the page - please local to Haworth
and the surrounding area only.
