Plants of Autumn

There are still many species of flowers in bloom across the reserve, but not in the numbers as two weeks ago.  Fewer Cinnabar moth caterpillars has meant Ragwort is still looking pristine, rather than chewed back to its stalks.

Honeysuckle provides food for a variety of insects throughout its flowering time, including this hoverfly.

Blackberries are still in flower.

And in fruit, which are being enjoyed by small mammals and birds.  Water Voles have been known to enjoy them, so a task for next week is to collect some for their platforms and see if they still do.

Autumn is of course the time for fungi to appear.  This is one of the ink caps. 

Bright colours were seen and upon investigation it was a fungus.

Under the canopy along Risedale Beck someone has been busy with needle and thread, stitching a neat running stitch around the cap of these fungi!!