The first month of autumn was mild and quite dry. There was rain on some days but not heavy or prolonged – there was just enough to keep the plants growing and looking a lot greener than they did during the hot summer we’ve just had. There were many more sunny days than rainy ones, but no heatwave conditions this month. 

Some of the deciduous trees continue to look autumnal, with their browning leaves carpeting the ground. Lots of the trees and shrubs now have fruits on them, including the Pyracantha (above). Its berries brighten up the cemetery, especially on dull days, and provide a valuable source of food for the birds. 

As far as flowers are concerned, I found very few of them, especially in the last week of the month. Earlier in the month there was still lots of Toadflax in flower along the Spring Bank West verge, particularly noticeable when everything else had died in the dry summer heat. And after some rain, even more of them grew and flowered. Then in the last week of the month, the Council or their contractors carried out a full cut of the verge, something they do around this time every year. But inside the cemetery I was surprised to find the normally early flowering Wood Avens in flower. I also found one Herb Robert flower. 

The Chicken of the Woods I found last month was still present at the start of the month, its appearance quickly changing until by the end of the month it was almost gone. I also found some field mushrooms and a cluster of small fungi that I believe are Sulphur Tuft. I was also pleased to see the return of the rare lactea variety of the Wood Ear, although only a couple of small examples. By the end of the month they had dried up and were barely visible. 

I don’t often see dragonflies in the cemetery, so I was delighted to see a Common Darter later in the month. I thought it was a female at first, but on closer inspection of my photos I think it’s probably an immature male because some of the male’s red colouring is just starting to appear. I saw several ladybirds - native 7-Spot ones and Harlequins - but I didn’t see many butterflies this month. I saw a few Small Whites - most were older, quite worn individuals flying low looking for places to lay eggs, but I did see one fresh-looking female. The darker markings indicate that this is a summer brood one whereas the markings are lighter on the spring brood. This is known as seasonal dimorphism. I also caught a brief glimpse of a Red Admiral, but the species I saw the most this month was the Speckled Wood.  

A few weeks ago, one of our volunteers accidentally disturbed a wasp nest and got stung several times. I’m happy to say she is now fully recovered! I took a closer look (from a distance, using a zoom lens) and noticed it was still a very active nest, with plenty of wasps coming and going. 

 

The only other insects I saw this month were hoverflies, a few other small flies, and some garden spiders. 

I caught a brief glimpse of a Collared Dove, and on a couple of sunny days mid-month I heard the distinctive sound of a Chiffchaff calling – something I’d normally hear in the spring. They’re a bird I also see occasionally throughout the year, and I wonder if we now have a small breeding population here. Although they’re a migratory species, some do live and breed in this country. 

 

I also saw Coal, Great and Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches including some juveniles, a Dunnock, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Magpies and Carrion Crows. 

September has been quite a mild month, ending with a very warm and muggy day. With no extremes of weather and enough rain and sunshine to sustain the cemetery’s plant and animal life, it was an ideal start to the autumn. The footpaths in the cemetery are dry and easy to walk on – perfect conditions for a stroll around the cemetery whatever the time of day!