Changing seasons at Trentham – by Trentham’s Wildlife Ranger

September for some is still summer, while others see it as the start of autumn. Either way it is a month that ushers a change of seasons and shift down in gear within the natural world. It’s the month that we often really start to notice that it is getting darker earlier, and we feel an autumnal chill in the air.

By September here at Trentham, the swooping swifts seen feeding high over the lake are long gone, the graceful swallows have recently departed and many other summer migrants are preparing for long journeys south. Our 8 species of bat are very active on mild evenings, feeding up on the still plentiful midges, mosquitoes and moths, Daubenton’s bats are seen acrobatically flying over the lake putting on weight ready for the long dormancy over winter. Although still in full foliage, with their summer flowers seeming like a faint memory, our native trees both young and old, start to show the first signs of browning, with flashes of amber. With the first few leaves dropping, creating a sparse covering of crunchy leaves in lawned areas along the lakeside walk.

The rise in moisture and cooler temperatures at this time of year awakens the fruiting bodies of many of our characteristic woodland and grassland fungi, ready for their annual peak in October. Highlights include the vibrant sulphur brackets of Chicken of the woods decorating the stately trunks of mature Oak trees, the large umbrellas of the parasol mushroom species creating a picturesque show in grassy areas and the classic red and white fairy tale mushroom the Fly Agaric, always found not far from a Silver Birch tree.

Autumn is a busy time for our resident Fallow Deer in Kings wood, as the rut looms on the horizon. Bucks in full antler are ready to stake their claim to the fertile does, assuring their genetic legacy in the shape of the next generation of fawns, to be born come the spring. Our family of 8 Eurasian beavers on the lake are still active, feeding in the lake margins in preparation for the winter.

With the first frosts just around the corner, the stage has been set for autumn and a change in the actors in the natural world has begun. Life continues for many plants and animals just at a more relaxed pace.

Autumn has much to offer both visitors and members at Trentham, the opportunity for long autumn walks enjoying the autumnal colours, the crunch of leaves underfoot and still plenty of interesting wildlife to see.

Duncan Coleman (Wildlife Ranger/Education Lead)