Halloween Apples

Halloween Apples

Halloween festivities have many connections to the natural world. When the Romans came to Britain they brought with them their goddess Pomona. She was the goddess of fruit and trees.  The Celts celebrated their New Year at this time. It is likely that the Roman and Celtic combined their beliefs. One of Pomona’s symbols was an apple. One thing that lots of children enjoy is bobbing for halloween apples. According to tradition the first to bite into an apple would be the first person to marry. An alternative version is to have an apple hanging from a string, rather than floating in water. Also, another custom is to peel the apple, and the longer the skin that came off in one piece, the longer you would live, or the shape of the peel could predict the letter of your future spouse.

On my woodland wanderings recently, I have come across apples scattered across the leaf litter. Some had clearly been there for a while, and there was a distinct smell of vinegar. There were so many different colours on their skins. One looked as though it had veins, and was very halloween like in its appearance. Nature really is the best artist.

Owls in the woods

Owls in the woods.

It is not often that you hear owls in the woods. Yesterday, I went for a woodland wander. I went off the beaten track for a while and got, some would say, slightly lost. I was really surprised by how quickly the light level dropped. The wood was some distance from a built up area, and as a result, little light pollution, so it got dark really quickly. Luckily, I had taken a torch with me (always useful for lighting up photos). The sections which had fir trees in got dark the first. I knew that I had to get back to a main track somehow, and quickly. It was when the light level had dropped to needing a torch, that I first heard them.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see any of the owls last night, even though there was still some light, I just heard their calls. There appeared to be several, as their calls were coming from both sides of the track. It was as thought they were having an early evening conversation with each other about the adventures that they were going to have later on. With the low light levels; the dropping air temperature; and the owl calls, it was making for quite a spooky atmosphere.

The Barn Owl Trust website has lots of information regarding owls, their appearance and identifying noises. This makes for an interesting read. I think that it was a several Tawny Owls that I heard because their “hoohoos’ sounded like the ones from the website link. I really enjoyed listening to them out in the wild. It was quite nice to think that there was some other creature out there keeping me company, because the world can suddenly become a scary place…

The Barn Owl Trust website link

Hibernating Frogs

Hibernating frogs

Hibernating frogs has been a hot topic in our household today. There had been much debate as to what happens to them during the colder winter months. On my woodland wanders I have stumbled across frogs in their tadpole state in the spring, and found them jumping around amongst the mosses in the summer. I have also got a friend who has frogs in their garden pond, who I discovered basking in the autumn sun the other day. What happens to frogs in the winter season, I am unsure of. Having only begun forest bathing this year, I can’t remember spotting frogs when the weather is colder, or even considered what may happen to them.

If in doubt of subject knowledge then I find that the best place to turn to is of course a book or the Internet. I found a wonderful website website called BBC Wildlife which gives an interesting explanation. It also clarifies the difference between frogs and toads. Apparently, frogs hibernate when temperatures drop below zero. The male frogs dig in to the bottom of the pond and breathe through their skin. Female and immature frogs hibernate under leaves and any natural debris that they can find. So, the question of do, or where do frogs hibernate has been solved.

BBC Wildlife website link

Halloween preparations in nature.

Halloween preparations in nature.

It is fun to see that nature is also getting ready for Halloween. There are misty mornings, creating eery settings. Spiders are creating webs for the mist to hang upon, and tangle around us whenever we venture into the garden. They are also quite large now, as they scurry across our carpets to find a warm, dry place to be for the winter. Mushrooms are everywhere, with many now turning black and creepy as they have passed their best. Apples have fallen off the woodland trees several weeks back, and are rotting amongst the leaf litter. Also, pumpkins are ready to be picked and displayed around the home, or eaten.

When you are forest bathing you should use all of your senses. Nature is definitely providing something for all of these. The smells of leaf litter, rotting apples and fruit. You can hear the creaking of the trees in the high winds and the scurrying and scratching of the eager squirrels racing up the trees collecting acorns. The sight of the leaves fluttering down out of the corner of your eye and their amazing shades of oranges, yellows and browns. You can taste and feel the mist upon your lips and face, especially if the spider’s web clings menacingly across your face as you wander through the autumn forest.

 

Forest bathing fungi

Forest bathing fungi.

This weekend, I went out on yet another forest bathing fungi discovery session. I know that a lot of the fungi are coming to the end of their spotting season, so I couldn’t resist having another forage in the undergrowth. I wasn’t disappointed, as once again there were little beauties popping out from underneath the leaf litter. As you know, I am no expert in identification, but I do love their amazing array of colours, shapes and sizes.

 

Along with growing on the woodland floor, I also found different varieties growing on trees. Some of the trees were still alive, and others were fallen and were covered in moss, which gave a lovely photographic setting for the fungus.

  

My favourite mushrooms for colour, have to be Fly Agaric and Amethyst Deceiver. Although these mushrooms seems to be harder to find now, as we are heading towards the end of October.

 

For texture, I have loved finding the Common Puffball with their bumpy surface. I don’t know whether it is because they are so white, as well, but to me they look very clinical.

 

Snails

Snails

Snails are fascinating creatures. Their variety in shell colour and their ability, it would seem, to get everywhere. Only this morning, I looked out of my bedroom window to see one staring back in at me. As it is getting to that damp time of year you begin to see more of them out and about “zooming” across footpaths.

The Snail World website has many interesting facts about them. It explains how some hibernate during the colder months. How you can tell their age by the size of its shell. That most snails are hermaphrodites. Also, that they tend to live between 2-5 years.

Snail World Website link

Last year, I discovered some snail eggs in the garden and checked every day so that I could see them when they hatched out. It was unbelievable how tiny they were, and very cute of course. You just never know what you are going to find, when you have the time to stop and look.

Misty Morning

Misty Morning

I woke up today to a misty morning. I always find it to be a magical time if year. The nights are drawing in, and the shadows are getting longer. Mist forms in the morning and clings to the spiders’ webs creating strings of necklaces between the trees. The leaves are changing colour, and crunching between our feet. There is a sense of urgency in the air as the squirrels leap from tree to tree carrying acorns.

I have always got confused over the difference between mist and fog and never really been sure which word to use. Apparently, after looking on the Met Office website, the difference between them is visibility. If the visibility is less than 1,000m (1km) then it is fog, otherwise it is mist. They are essentially the same, just that mist has a lower density of water droplets.

Met Office link, which describes the difference between fog and mist.

I love taking photos in the fog/mist. They are especially good for Halloween, as they really set up the spooky theme. I don’t know that it is when you are out there amongst the mist. It seems to quieten the world. All noises stop dead. It is almost like you are out there alone…

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves are what most people associate with autumn.They are there surrounding us on the trees, and on the floor. There is something special about hearing the crunching of leaves under your feet, as you go for a woodland wander. It can be quite therapeutic listening to the gentle rustle of wind blowing the leaves. Or seeing the swirl of leaves by shop doors which just seem to magically appear.

I am loving taking photographs of leaves from different perspectives at the moment. The photo above, is one of my favourites as it shows the sunlight shining through the fallen leaf, yet has the forest trees in the background. Now is a wonderful time to take a wander in nature as look at the leaves from a different angle. Nature never disappoints.

Forest bathing

Forest bathing

Forest bathing is what this website is all about. It is here for those moments when you can’t get outside. You might have a busy schedule; the weather may not be good; or you may be ill. Although it is getting outside into the forest which reaps the most benefits, research has shown that even looking at images of nature can have a positive effect on our health and well-being.

I am into my third season of collecting photographs of nature for the website. Wandering through the forest, woods and nature reserves has had such an amazing positive effect on my own well-being. I think that during stressful times in life you can often go in on yourself and almost hibernate, finding the outside world a daunting place. Yet, I have grown to know and love the natural places that I visit, so that I feel safe and happy there. Every time I explore them, they give me something new to smile about.

Every week there seems to be a newspaper or internet article explaining the benefits of forest bathing. Often, they start of suggesting that it is almost a crazy idea, then by the end every article  that I have read has stated that they enjoyed the forest bathing experience. I think that everyone would gain so much from forest bathing if they just gave it a go.

National Mushroom Day

National Mushroom Day

National Mushroom Day sounds like a good excuse to go out hunting for mushrooms. This year it was on October 15th. As you know, I love hunting for mushrooms anyway, so I  decided to spent extra time in the woods seeing what I could find. With my extra phone battery at the ready I set out.

I was not disappointed, as I stumbled across some beautiful Fly Algaric mushrooms nestled amongst the autumn leaves.

 

Also, I  found lots of tiny mushrooms growing, hidden on the forest floor.

The Woodland Trust have an article upon their website which identifies some of the most common mushrooms found within the UK, which makes for an interesting read.

The Woodland Trust website link

I managed to find a Birch Polypore growing on a fallen tree, along with moss, which made a lovely photograph. This mushroom is amazing for all of the things that it can be used for. I had a read on the Wild Food UK website as to its uses and was amazed. Apparently, it only grows on birch trees, so it is difficult to confuse it for other mushrooms. It is supposed to have antiseptic qualities, and can be used as plasters. It can also be used as tinder, and would therefore be good if you ever needed heat in an emergency, or to cook food.

Wild Food Uk website link

There are so many different mushrooms out there waiting to be discovered. The more I hunt for them, the more interesting varieties I find. I just need to get better at identifying them now. Identification is so very important, for as I have mentioned previously, there are many poisonous varieties that look very similar to the edible ones. Consequently, I am spending time researching, so that I have more knowledge.