Autumn Observations: Jo Kirk
This autumn (late August – mid November) I have seen young collared doves, terns riding the thermals, a large black/brown hawk (with wide striped tail) eyeing up the sparrows, a coot (black head, white beak) on the river stones, sparrows having dust baths, a yellow wagtail, a red-beaked goose, long-tailed tits, ring ouzels (black with white bib, male), a nuthatch, a red admiral butterfly, a large young hawk (with back & wing feather colour like wide brushstrokes, light brown on white), lapwings by the pool and a pair of buzzards (one with prey, the other flying high over the valley), young great tits and blue tits – exquisite miniatures – flying and feeding, and a rotund red robin.
The winter months are the time to look out for redwings, they are thrush-like but with a white dappled breast and belly, red under wings and snowy eyebrows.
Autumn
A dewy mist
persists
all day
after the rain
and wind and cold
have turned
the trees
into a ragged
tapestry of leaves
and rugs of colour
are strewn in streets.
Everything set
in nut and pip and seed
condensed to sweet kernels
of the year
all fall
and dormant root
till spring and summer bring on
flower and fruit.
By Jo Kirk
November 2017
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