September is a glorious time of year to enjoy wild spaces or local parks. There’s so much to spot out in nature, whether you are walking alongside a fresh water river or deep in the forest. Here are a few things to look out for this month:

-Bird migrations-certain birds start to leave our shores for warmer climates. This includes the willow warbler, chiff chaff, common terns and swallows

-The hedgerows should be full of berries and seed heads. See if you can spot cleaver seeds, hawthorn berries and rosehips.

-September is spawning time for the brown trout. The female makes a trench called a redd in the gravelly riverbed with her tail and lays her eggs in it. The male covers these with milt and then the eggs are covered over with more gravel. 

-See if you can spot some animal tracks in muddy areas. Around us I can often see deer tracks and badger tracks but it should be easy to find squirrel tracks too! 

-As nuts ripen you may find fallen ones of the ground, its fun to identify nuts and also see who has been eating them! If the shell of the nut has been pulled open its likely a squirrel whose been nibbling on it, or if you see tiny nibble marks and a round hole its probably a dormouse or bank vole.

-This time of year is a wonderful time to really explore the world of trees. With leaves gently turning into their autumn hues, and some beginning to fall, I highly recommend making a trip to a local arboretum or forest park to admire the different species of trees.

What are your favourite things to spy in nature this season? Let me know in the comments below