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