22 raring2go.co.uk 23 Raring2go! AUTUMN IDEAS Raring2go! AUTUMN IDEAS Embrace the outdoors with autumn’s awe-inspiring wildlife! Autumn is a fantastic time to get out in nature. While colder temperatures, damp weather, and shorter days aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, these conditions mean that wildlife is doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things. They’re well worth putting on some warm clothing and some wellies to see! We’ve compiled a collection of top autumn wildlife dramas below. Some of them you’ll be able to see in your local area, or even out of your window, but if you fancy a day out we’ve also included a list of top RSPB reserves where these spectacles really shine. The dance of the starlings Starlings, a medium-sized bird with a remarkable ability to mimic other birds, huddle together when it’s cold at night to stay warm. These big flocks are like dinner buffets to predators such as falcons and hawks, however, so starling need a defence strategy – and they turn to dance. As dusk falls starlings come together in their hundreds or even thousands to swoop, ascend, dive, and lift in a cloud of orchestrated patterns that can help throw off predators. Their improvised choreography once led scientists to theorise that starlings must have psychic powers! For your best chance at seeing a murmuration, pick a day that’s clear, calm, and cold, and try to arrive a bit before dusk. Starling murmurations can start as early as September and often continue into January or February. Kaleidoscopes of colour Autumn leaves are a daily wonder. The shorter days means the leaves absorb less light, and therefore create less sugar, triggering the plant to seal off the leaf and begin to shed. The lower temperatures also break down the compounds in the leaf, leaving us with a kaleidoscope of greens, yellow, reds, and oranges. And it’s not just the leaves that provide spectacular colour shows in autumn. Shorter days bring fantastic sunsets and reedbeds transform from green to purple and gold. Whirling waders and wonderful wildfowl Autumn is a time of movement for many birds across the UK. The colder weather prompts some species, such as the swallow and the house martin, to journey thousands of miles back to their warmer homes in Africa. To other birds that spend most of the year in Iceland and northern Europe, however, the UK’s autumn is relatively balmy, and we begin to welcome whole new flocks of migratory geese, ducks, and wading birds. Head to www.rspb.org.uk/reservesand-events to explore over 170 RSPB reserves and the sights they offer all year round. Make your family tree from Autumn leaves
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