There are signs of autumn all around as leaves turn, daylight shortens, temperatures drop and wild creatures seek to fatten up ready to hibernate, migrate or mark out territory for mates. Already arguments are frequent as they compete for space; and calls announcing who they are can be heard, not just during the day, but especially at night.
Dog Foxes begin to bark again after sunset, announcing themselves for their prospective Vixen mates. Redwings arriving in the night from northern Europe can be heard whispering in the air, as can the seven note single piping whistling of the whimbrel returning from Iceland.
There are, sometimes, dramatic disturbing sounds as fallow deer or roe deer stags compete to round up their respective mates. The noise of their roaring in the pitch dark can be terrifying. It’s been compared to the kick start noise of a Harley Davidson exhaust, totally unexpected in unlit woodland.
There are quieter things happening too. Trout return upstream at night, taking advantage of the heightened water levels, assuming enough rain has fallen. The autumn dampness and mists, falling leaves and rotting wood are exactly what the hidden branching hyphae of fungi thrive on, their spore-releasing toadstools suddenly appearing at the surface where previously there was nothing.
The mistiness also lets us see the amazing woven intricacy of spiders’ webs, a great subject for your cameras, perhaps, as we look forward to the 2019 Wild Roseland Photography Exhibition.
Upcoming Wild Roseland Walks and Talks – dates for your diary
Note that all events are free but a small donation of £3 would be welcomed.
Butterflies of the Roseland
Wednesday, 17th October, 7.30pm, Gerrans and Portscatho Memorial Hall.
Presented by Harriet Davies and Phil White from the National Trust Roseland office
Seals, cetaceans and seabirds of our coastline
Thursday 15th November, 7.00pm, St.Mawes Memorial Hall.
Presented by Sue Sayer, founder of the Cornwall Seal Trust.
Thank you for all the support you have given to Wild Roseland by attending our programme of talks, or in any other way.
Record your wildlife sightings!
The Roseland area is under-recorded for its wildlife flora and fauna and we need more records. You can easily record single wildlife sightings in the Wildlife Trusts ORKS database online here. You can also complete an ORCS data form for multiple records here.
The ORKS recording app makes collecting and submitting wildlife sightings while you’re out exploring quick and easy, even without a mobile signal. The ORKS App is available for free download on iPhone and Android.
All data gets added to the National Biodiversity Network database, making it retrievable by anyone interested in doing research, locally, nationally or internationally.
Contributors:
Article by David Hall. Images by Sarah Vandome.
Edited by Sarah Vandome.
Wild Roseland is a group of volunteers who care passionately about looking after the nature and landscape of the Roseland peninsula in south Cornwall. Through a number of initiatives and projects, the aim is to inspire and enhance the conservation of this special place for all.
References and links
Wild Roseland – http://www.wildroseland.org/
Enjoy more Roseland wildlife and landscapes – visit Sarah Vandome’s Heart of Roseland Facebook feature:
https://www.facebook.com/HeartOfRoseland?ref=hl
Wild Roseland is on Facebook