Everything is Permuted

We are being blessed by a late burst of summer. The temperature is mild, the skies blue (most of the time), and the autumnal colours are vibrant.
Autumn colour

The day had in fact begun with greying overcast skies, and a touch of rain in the air, so it was welcome bonus to find the sun out at lunchtime. The cattle were out in the fields, and at least one young male was feeling rather frisky.
Cattle

Others were behaving rather more sedately, sheltering in the shade of the trees.


In the distance a kestrel cut across the edge of the woods.


I followed. It settled in the tree and then rose again to hover. I debated whether to move across to get closer or to watch and wait. I waited. And I was rewarded when the kestrel tired of its hunting patch and swept across the fields to the wooded area on the far side of the valley.
Kestrel

I followed him for a while, knowing that in doing so I was heading in precisely the opposite direction to where I should have been going. But a lunchtime kestrel is a lunchtime bonus that is hard to forgo.

And this is the video from last night, when Bold was investigating the torch and trail cam. Quality is not good, but you can see her now quite distinctive limp (which I think must be permanent).



Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

The recent persistent rain finally left these shores overnight and today proved to be one of those slightly sharp but beautiful autumn days.
View of Stanmer Park

The rain has brought out the fungi, and I came across several large clumps of honey fungus.
Honey fungus

While visually spectacular, this isn't one you want to find in your garden. It spreads via underground bootlace threads (rhizomorphs) and can cause significant damage to other plants and trees. Not that this squirrel seemed too worried about it.


Numerous corvids were enjoying the sunshine, including several magpies (we seem to have lots of them about).
Magpie

Most of the smaller birds were playing hard to get, flitting in and out of the dense thickets at the edge of the woods. One did finally show itself and I'm going to make a wild guess and say that it's a chiffchaff.
Chiffchaff

And just to prove the skies really were blue all day, I took this last shot as I was heading for the car at the end of work.
Pied wagtail

On the home front, Bold was back and her eye seems to be improving.


Mind you, one false move here and all the good work could be undone.
Bold vixen and hedgehog

Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D. The daytime shots were all taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The photos of the vixen were with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens.

We all know that spawn appears in the early spring, and the tadpoles emerge a little after that. Soon they become froglets, and by late summer they've completed their metamorphosis to become frogs. Well that's the theory, but this little chap was obviously playing truant the day that lesson was given.

Out of season

It even has tiny legs

Thoroughly in season

A mouse for all seasons

A perfect seasonal view

Camera note: First tadpole taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM. Second tadpole and wood mouse with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro. Squirrel and landscape were captured with the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS.