Transitioning

I dropped Alex off in Oundle and then headed straight to Old Sulehay for a morning walk. I was surprised to actually feel quite chilly for the first half hour or so, thanks to a brisk northerly breeze. After photographing one of my quadrats (which I'd failed to do on my last visit, because I was distracted by a very chatty lady) I made a circuit of Stonepit Close and part of Old Sulehay Forest to see the effects of the drought.

By-and-large most of the site didn't appear to be too badly affected so far. The quarry has been colonised by plants that are adapted to limestone soils that are habitually dry in summer, and the ancient woodland appeared resilient, with only Elder and some ferns showing signs of stress over and above the norm. Sadly, I found a dead Mole on one of the woodland paths - the  clay soil has baked so hard that it would have found tunnelling difficult and worms absent.

It was clear that he drought has pushed us into a premature autumnal transition. Bracken is starting to change colour, and although the deeply tap-rooted Common Knapweed was still in bloom, most of the formerly abundant butterflies had gone. Spider's webs and a rather splendid Sulphur Polypore were further signs of the changing of the seasons.