November should see the first frosts, which give us some breathtaking morning views of the frosted landscape and frozen leaves close up. After the frost is the time to collect the round black/purple berries of blackthorn, known as sloes, if you want to make your own sloe gin. Or collect rosehips to make rosehip syrup or tea. But now is too late for the blackberries.

Trees And Shrubs:

We are still treated to one of nature’s most spectacular scenes, i.e. the autumn fall, with a tremendous range of colours from dark browns to bright yellows and others of reds and oranges. But why do the leaves change colour? As the trees pull back the green chlorophyll into the branches they leave behind the other coloured pigments.
As the leaves continue to fall we can notice the red twigs of the dogwood shrubs and the small catkins of hazel that will expand and open to release their pollen early next year, when they are known as lamb’s tails.

Oak trees display their colour while beeches may hold on to their copper leaves and European larches retain their yellow needles.

Plants:

Ivy comes into flower and provides a late source of food for insects. In amongst the fluffy (Clematis) old man’s beard that covers the hedgerows you may be able to see the poisonous red berries of bryony.
Look out for white deadnettle, which looks like a short stinging nettle but doesn’t sting and has white flowers inbetween the leaves.

Birds:

Mixed flocks of finches, such as chaffinches, greenfinches and goldfinches, scour the countryside for food – you may see a blackcap or chiffchaff, too. Starlings start their roosting while lakes and estuaries are home to Arctic species of wader and wildfowl, such as teal and wigeon, as well as whooper and Bewick’s swans.
Birds, including the migratory redwing and fieldfare, will continue to feed on the remaining berries of hawthorn and rowan in the hedgerows.
Robins are about the only birds left singing as they continue to defend their territory in winter.
Snow bunting arrive from the artic to escape the extreme winter conditions.
Waxwings swing like trapeze artists in rowan trees as they feed on the red/orange berries.
Can you spot the new arrivals of blackbirds as they fly in from Siberia? There are more females as the males are hardier and perfer to stay at home!
Tawny owls nest early in the new year and begin to establish territories in November. At dusk the distinctive ‘t’wit t’whooo’ is made by males to defend their territory and attract a mate. The females reply with a hoarser hoot. However, they don’t bother hooting when it is raining because the background noise of the rain greatly reduces the range of the hoot.

Mammals:

Hedgehogs try to build up their fat reserves to get them through their hibernation over the winter by feeding on slugs, beetles and even young rabbits. If you want to help hedgehogs, put out a dish of cat or dog food but not bread and milk as this upsets their digestive systems. But don’t forget that bonfires attract hedgehogs looking for a place to hibernate so remember to check before lighting yours on Bonfire Night,
Bats go into a state of torpor,
Badgers bed down in their setts for the winter.

Amphibians And Reptiles:

Most frogs and toads are hibernating but some wake up occasionally and some of this years young may still be out hunting.

Invertebrates:

In order to survive the harsh winter months many insects find a sheltered place and hibernate until spring. Some of the best places for hibernation include within thick grass, inside dead plant stems and underneath tree bark. Most species of ladybird hibernate clustered together in large numbers, up to 1000 individuals, to provide extra warmth.

Fungi:

Look out for puffballs this month. Initially they have a firm and rubbery white texture but when ripe look like stemless brownish sacs, which contain the spores. The outer layer of the fungus breaks down to a papery, thin-walled shell and if a drop of rain hits the surface then masses of spores are released in a cloud of dust that can look like smoke!