The beginning of November was spectacular with all the trees still having numerous orange and yellow leaves on them. However, with the recent rain and frosts nearly all the leaves have now fallen, leaving the landscape looking wintry. With the evenings drawing in very quickly, most of us are going to work and coming home in the dark. Only after the winter solstice on December 21st will the days gradually start becoming longer again.

With the cold weather, where the farmers have turned the ground over, the cold frosts kill off some of the parasites that would otherwise attack their crops. Many of the cattle have been brought in off the fields and will be fed inside throughout the winter. If the weather does become much colder the farmers will have to ensure that ice is broken on the animals troughs to allow them to drink and that salt licks are provided to give them extra minerals that will be lacking. This is a good time of the year to fill in any gaps in hedgerows to help ensure livestock can not escape and it also ensures that wildlife can travel more safely under cover.

Animals, such as the fox, have grown thicker coats to ward off the winter chills. Their winter coats have many white hairs in them to help make them less visible and blend into the landscape and help them hunt more efficiently. Many birds can be seen or heard flying in flocks searching for food or you may see Blue Tits and Great Tits feeding at the bird table. Some of the wild animals have taken shelter from the cold weather like the bats roosting in rooftops and crevices in tunnels and old buildings.

Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)

Whilst mice and voles may have moved into warmer residences like farm buildings and under sheds. One such mammal is the Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). Most mice build up large larders filled with berries, nuts and seeds and stay awake throughout the winter and do not hibernate like the Dormouse.

At this time of year many people will be buying themselves a Christmas tree, the usual choice is a Norway Spruce but there are a wide variety of conifers to choose from and one tree that is sometimes chosen is the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

This is a spectacular tree that originates from North America. In its native habitat it can grow to three hundred and twenty five feet whereas here it can only grow to one hundred and eighty feet on average. A plant collector named David Douglas introduced it here in 1827. It was grown originally as an ornamental but later its potential for commercial use was seen and it is now grown all over the country. The timber is excellent for building work, veneers, doors and for flooring.

European Larch (Larix decidua)

Another conifer tree to look out for is the European Larch (Larix decidua). The Larch differs from other conifers because the needles turn orange and drop at this time of year, like broad-leaved deciduous trees. It was originally introduced from Europe as an ornamental tree but later it was grown in the millions in Perthshire. Since then it has been grown commercially through out our woods. It is a quick growing tree and its timber is used for building and a lot of gates and fences are made from it too. The Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) is grown commercially too and foresters have found the hybrid between the two (Larix x eurolepis) grows even more quickly than its parents and is now readily grown as a "quick cash crop".

The Snowberry (symphoricarpos rivularis)

Maybe the weather will turn colder around Christmas and we might see some snow, but if we don't there is always the Snowberry shrub to make it feel more like Christmas. The Snowberry (symphoricarpos rivularis) was originally introduced from North America in the 19th Century and was grown as an attractive shrub that bears white berries that look like snowballs. Although they look attractive they are inedible and not even the birds can eat them. Today they occur in the wild as garden escapes and can be found quite commonly in hedgerows and woodland

Our native Ivy (Hedera Helix) is associated with the Christmas

Ivy (Hedera Helix)

period and is used as a decoration. When the sun comes out Ivy can flower at this time of year and it therefore provides the few mobile insects around with an invaluable source of nectar. Another shrub that is more traditionally associated with Christmas is the Holly (Ilex aquifolium). Holly bark is full of minerals and natural metals. Holly can often be found grazed by animals because of those metals.

Traveller's Joy (Clematis vitalba)

If it weren't for the prickles, the leaves would be devoured in no time. In the past, before lightning conductors had been invented, Holly trees were planted beside people's homes because they were more likely to be hit by lightning than the houses. Holly berries have been hung around houses at this time of year for many centuries because they are believed to ward off evil spirits. Today they are hung as a colourful decoration to adorn our doorways.

Well I will take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and I'll talk to you again in the New Year!