3 ways to go wild in October
After a lovely Indian summer throughout September, the rain is hitting us hard core in October. I don’t know about you but autumn is my favourite time of year, and as much as I feel like I haven’t got my fill of proper sunshine this summer, I am really looking forward to it getting a bit chillier. I am definitely a child who loves the changing of seasons – I would struggle living in the tropics. Although I’m not ready for winter any time soon, I am desperate for that smell of decaying earth, crisp mornings that start with layers but end in t-shirts and any excuse for a hot chocolate.
This time round I’ve already done a “3 ways to go wild” (although only on instagram), and I’m not going to try and replicate what I did last year – although some of the highlights are worth repeating (especially with our current levels of freedom!). Some of these are a reflection of some things that I’ve been working on lately and some of the things I’m looking forward to putting in the diary some time soon. And as usual, all of these are in the hopes of encouraging you to have a look outside – you do not need to be a super wildlife outdoorsy expert.
See misty mornings
one of the most beautiful sights in the autumn (along with the later sunrises which is a huge bonus) – is the morning mist across the landscape or in a valley. The reason we get this particularly in the autumn (and in some places in the spring) is because of the difference in the temperatures. On clear, dry and windless days the ground temperature plummets at night. The temperature at which the moisture in the air forms into droplets is called the dew point, and with the longer, colder nights the air and the ground have more time to chill below this point. The moisture particles then turn into moisture in the form of fog. As the sun comes out and the temperature heats up, the fog particles evaporate again.
What’s the difference between fog and mist? That’s as simple as: density. The more you can see through it, the more misty it’ll be. Typically it’s a visibility of 1km – if you can see more than 1km it’s mist, and if you can see less than it’s fog. Here in the UK for drivers, fog is referred to as anything with a visibility of less than 100m.
So get up early and have a look around you – a lake, a grassy field, a valley. Urban areas tend to have less of it because of the heat dome effect around built up spaces but you won’t have to go far to see the magic.
2. Pick some fruit
It’s also the season for fruit picking, especially for the novice! There might still be some blackberries around to collect, plus the apples are in peak season as are the pumpkins and other gourds. Because this haul is so big, there will be farms that you can book onto to go grab something for yourself, or even places looking for extra volunteers to help them collect the extras. If you drive around – especially on the hunt for cooking apples – you will probably find lots of people giving them away. The minute you get an apple tree in the garden you can’t get through your seasonal apples fast enough.
3. See the deer rut
The deer rut will slowly be starting, late October and well into November. Lots of different species: fallow, sika and red deer will see males fighting off others to establish a dominance structure and to defend their own harem to mate with. While the males are defending or trying to take over a new harem they will often not each much – maybe not eat at all. Other than them locking horns and shoving each other around, things you might see are deer covering their antlers in foliage in frustration, bear their teeth or roar.
The reason this particular activity is beginner friendly is we have so many places to go see a rut in the UK, especially with all the deer parks around. Most will have red deer on them, or a combination of red and fallow deer. If you do go see it particularly for rutting behaviour, the peak hours are the first 3 hours after dawn and an hour before dusk. Always keep a distance, and be aware of your surroundings, in case there are deer where you aren’t expecting them.
If you’re a photographer you might want to take advantage of the misty mornings and deer rutting combined! Many people flock to Richmond park for this, so if you do grab your camera and head that way, best to be aware of other photographers around and be considerate.
As ever, happy wild-ing!
Ester
Meet Ester
Wildlife camerawoman by day, jewellery designer by night, with a heap of crafting in the middle. Bristol-based but longing for a wilder setting.
Buy some earrings here
Past blogs
Like how I write? I’d love to hear from you! I am open to getting commissions for other blogs, social media platforms or publications. Please get in touch using the email below.