Red-osier dogwood berries

A quiet day catching up with the rest of the washing and stocking the cupboards for the coming week, the first of our new autumn regime.

I took the dogs out to the river this morning. Gemma damaged her paw while we were away, abrading the skin from one of the pads, and had been very lame. But today she seemed much better and wanted to go out. The riverside walk is mostly on grass, so fairly soft for her paw, and she managed quite well, although by the end she'd had enough.

It was quite warm in the sun and there were still plenty of dragonflies around, all common darters and migrant hawkers. Signs of autumn were all around - the spindle leaves were turning quite red and there were berries of many kinds: the translucent scarlet-red of guelder rose, crimson haws, purplish-black elderberries, shiny black wild privet berries and these unusual white berries which grow on red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea.

This species is a shrub from eastern North America, and differs from the native dogwood in its white fruits, its brighter, usually blood-red twigs, conspicuous in winter, and its 'suckering' habit. It's well adapted to habitats subject to waterlogging, and has been widely planted as an ornamental along the River Nene. It does form large thickets but doesn't appear to establish new plants from seed very easily, which is fortunate, otherwise it could become an unwelcome invader of wet woodlands.

It's an early start for all of us tomorrow. Alex has his first day at Shuttleworth College, which means he has to be in Huntingdon to catch the college bus by 7.45am - a bit of a culture shock for a night owl. It's the first time he's attended any formal educational establishment - I just hope he settles in and enjoys the course....