LATE SEASONAL COLOUR.

I felt a bit like this little beetle today ... slow moving in damp conditions ... mild drizzle. Having had to go out to get a few necessary items, I wrapped up well and gave the "mildly fed up" mutt a short walk in a local area of forestry. He's been looking at me quizzically over the last few days unsure what to do about this snuffly, sneezy, just about feeling  human ... being. The forecast this morning had threatened our area with a lot of rain, so best to get out and back in again before we got deluged. Just as we got out of the car, the sky decided to give us a small idea of what was to come. But it was worth the effort required. As the dog delighted in the damp woodland scents, I had the camera.

And, a bit like the dog. I was almost nose to the ground, there were so many tiny details to delight in and to capture on camera.

Like this raindrop bejewelled blade of grass, each drop magnifying the details beneath.

Unless one looks closely. one just doesn't notice the growth lines in a single grass leaf.

Also, despite the overcast skies, the rain made other details more vibrant in close up, such as this single bright red bramble leaf, blown by the breezes onto pale yellow oak leaves.

And another, quite dramatic pale contrast to the rising forest banks on one side ...

a single, cream coloured bracken frond, arching over the mosses and grasses.

But the most vibrant colours of the vegetation, had to be the fire-bright blackberry leaves.

Now, normally among the species that have a show of scarlet are the wild strawberry foliage, but, not this year. I didn't see one single bright red leaf on any of the many plants that grow so low on either side of this forest track and going back to fruiting time, I picked but a mere handful of fruits this year. In the past I have been able to make wild strawberry jam. Going back a few years ago, I picked four pounds of these tiny fruit in a few hours.

Another tree species that usually provides an amazing variety of colour, the oak ...

has, this year, been very lacking in it's usually wonderful variances in shades, but at least there were those few that shone out amongst all of the dreary rest.

Now. I make few apologies for this repetitive moan, but ... in this area of forest alone over the past five years, I have gathered, wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, whinberries, various edible fungi and ... even crab apples on a lone tree.  Not this year!

Which reminds me ... all my favourite crab apple trees have been devoid of fruit this year.  My secluded damson trees on the sites of long dilapidated farm houses were almost fruitless. Forget elderberry cordial this year and apple and bramble, winter warming pies.

Like so many of our late spring, early summer flowering species they were hit hard with the seemingly constant battering of unseasonal cold winds and yes that word again, rain!

One water loving plant has thrived quite well, rich in a source of iron, wild watercress.

It is only one very small area of this water loving plant, but I have regularly gathered these iron rich leaves to add to soups, stews and omelettes, but I have to admit, not as flavour rich as some of the other "hedgerow" harvests that I've missed this year. But, visually at least, we have not totally missed out on that last autumnal flare of brightness.

Forget Bonfire Night, nature can succeed where fireworks may fail.