Autumn colours

I'd gone all day without taking any photos at all (most unusual), until this evening that is. I was outside… the garden was cold and there was little sign of activity. So to pass the time I took this shot of one of the rose galls, which has now transformed from early summer green to a rich reddish-brown. The larvae inside the gall will emerge in the spring as rose gall wasps.

Rose gall

That got me thinking about autumn colours, the reds and browns, and how the garden spiders are so much in evidence at this time of the year.

Garden spider

And autumn means leaves… I heard some loud rustling at the far end of the garden. Here's why.

Hedgehog

Cute enough for a second photo

I can hardly end a post about the colours of autumn without including a shot of a fox. It's another photo of the nicked-ear vixen. She appeared briefly while I was busy with hedgehog, but long enough to take this.

Nicked-ear vixen

Camera note: the gall and the spider were photographed with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens. I used the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens for the hedgehog and fox.

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This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Vulpes vulpes

    4 Oct 2008

    Nice to see Miss Tiggywinkle out and about! :happy:

  2. SittingFox

    4 Oct 2008

    Love the hedgehog! And that spider is very pretty :bug:

  3. Words

    4 Oct 2008

    Adele, glad you like the spider. With the hedgehog I have to switch the flash unit to manual to prevent the pre-flash (which the hedgehogs hate).

  4. Words

    4 Oct 2008

    Thanks Vulpes. It's always a bit of a treat to see them.

  5. mountainlion_wales

    4 Oct 2008

    aww, what a cute hedgehog! and amazing jay pic down the bottom there too 🙂 seems to be millions of spiders out at the moment! i don't mind watching them, but it is not nice when they build webs at face height, and then you accidentally walk through them… lol 😀

  6. Words

    4 Oct 2008

    Thanks Jenny. I know what you mean about spiders. The one in the photo tends to throw a line right across the steps up into the garden. I've got into the habit of ducking slightly to avoid it. :bug:

  7. Wildlifewonders

    5 Oct 2008

    Great pictures as always- I have been visiting this blog for well over 2 years now! Very worth while as always. And- my favourite animal- the Hedgehog!

  8. UrbanExtension

    5 Oct 2008

    Beautiful pictures. My friend found one of those rose galls and we didn't know what it was, I will send her a link to your blog (it clears up a mystery! thanks!). Jane

  9. Words

    5 Oct 2008

    Jane, thanks. I'm glad your gall mystery is cleared up. They're strange things and once you know what they are they seem to appear everywhere! :alien:

  10. Words

    5 Oct 2008

    Beth, thanks for posting, and I'm pleased to see you've a got blog once again.

  11. Cynthia23

    5 Oct 2008

    🙂

  12. Words

    5 Oct 2008

    Thanks Cynthia 🙂

  13. Ukwildlife

    5 Oct 2008

    great photos. I must make an effort to find a hedgehog nest year (running out of time this year). The only one Ive seen in years was the one the council run over in my local park 🙁

  14. Words

    5 Oct 2008

    Thanks Neil. I'm not quite sure which garden the hedgehog lives in. I've seen her on both sides at different times.

  15. Flying Red Fox Blog

    19 Oct 2008

    Lovelly photos and the Vixen looks like the prettiest fox i have ever seen. 😀

  16. Words

    19 Oct 2008

    Thanks Mark!

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