... blog post:
There is more than a hint that the beginning of proper astronomical autumn, not just meteorological autumn which has already begun, is on its way. It's in the air and in the trees and in the sense of expectation in nature all around us.
The berries are forming bright red clumps on shrubs and trees. There is an early hint of leaves changing colour, harbinger of what is to come later.
The main trees, however, retain their summer foliage still, though the afternoon sun casts longer shadows earlier and earlier as the days shorten and the autumnal equinox gets ever closer.
Some exotic species provide early colour as they start their transition earlier than our native trees giving an advanced warning that autumn really is imminent.
The days shorten, there is dew on the grass in the mornings, it starts to feel cooler, it's a time of fruitfulness and harvest, the trees and the animals preparing for winter and the birds readying to head off for warmer climes.
But for now its just the beginning of the season with the true glorious colours of the foliage yet to come.