Country notes October 2025 October is the first full month of Autumn and the month when the change of seasons can be the most obvious. This is the month when the leaves really start to turn and the very last of the summer migrating birds leave our shores. Some days we can really feel the change with cold damp days, whereas there will be others when summer feels as if it is hanging on to the very last moment. In fact, warm days like this around 18th October, which is St Luke’s Day, are often referred to as St Luke’s Little Summer. Let’s hope that we will be treated to a few days of St Luke’s Little Summer this year! After our long hot summer this year changes began rather earlier than usual. Many trees were showing signs of their leaves changing colour by the end of August owing to the lack of rain through the summer. In order to retain as much moisture as possible they started to shed their leaves to minimise water loss. I also witnessed some gatherings of Swallows and Martins over the meadows in late August, although whether they were actually gathering in order to leave and head south that early is debateable . Of course, it is not only birds on the wing in early autum. Bats which are actually mammals, may also be seen on the wing prior to their winter dormancy. The most commonly seen in our villages are the Pipistrelle bats and long eared bats. Pipistrelles are easy to identify as they are much smaller then other bats. Others however are much harder and the only real way of sorting them out is with a bat detector. All species of bats have different pitched calls and a bat detector can easily separate the. However I don’t have one!! Whatever you are looking for and whatever the weather brings, October is a great month to be out and about in our countryside. Andrew Snowdon (fb)

Country notes for September 2025 This is the month when we see the transition from summer to autumn, with the start of autumn this year being the 22nd September. At the beginning of the month it often feels like full blown summer, which it is ! However by the end of the month there are clear signs that things are on the change. Not only are the days shorter but there can be heavy early morning dews, with mists gathering during the day. Our migrant birds will have started leaving by the end of the month and wildlife will be starting preparations for the colder months ahead. This is a good time to give the bird table and the feeders a good clean to lessen the risk of disease spreading, and as the days shorten many of us will be starting to feed the birds again, especially if there is a cold snap. i tend to feed the birds only when the weather is particularly bad as food dropped from feeders can attract rats and with chickens in my garden this is something i try to avoid. It can be of course be tempting to put rat poison down but this should be done with extreme caution with the rat poison put in small quantities in proper bait boxes to avoid other animals and birds finding it. if at all possible rat poison is best avoided completely as, even with real care, a poisoned rat can still be eaten by dogs, cats and other animals and this can be fatal to them. Rat poison spread around liberally is certainly to be avoided if our furry friends, both wild and domestic, are to be as safe as possible. September is a wonderful month with warm days often a possibility and the countryside looking resplendent as the first leaves begin to colour up, heralding a real change in appearance in October and November. One of the glories of our beautiful Kent countryside is that ever season has something of wonder to celebrate. Andrew Snowdon (fb)