October is a magical time in nature, especially across the UK and Europe. The autumn months bring cooler weather, golden leaves, and a whole world of wildlife preparing for winter. Whether you’re exploring local parks, woodlands, or just your own garden, there’s plenty to see and do during this season. From making natural crafts with conkers to spotting wildlife, this blog will guide you through exciting outdoor activities and highlight nature’s wonders.
What’s Happening in our skies?
October’s Full Moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon, traditionally marking the time when hunters would gather meat for winter. Occasionally, it’s referred to as the Blood Moon or Sanguine Moon, possibly due to its reddish hue. These names reflect the moon’s connection to autumn’s seasonal transitions and ancient practices of preparing for the colder months ahead. You can look out for it from Wednesday, October 16th.
A few other notable things to watch out for in the skies this month.
Draconid Meteor Shower: Peaks around October 8th and 9th, with best viewing in the early evening.
Orionid Meteor Shower: Peaks around October 21st, featuring debris from Halley’s Comet.
Mars & Venus: Venus is visible in the early morning sky, while Mars may be spotted briefly after sunset.
What’s Happening in Nature?
October is a busy month for wildlife:
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Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are gathering leaves and twigs to build nests (hibernacula) and fattening up for hibernation. Hedgehogs can travel up to 2 km a night foraging for food. If you are lucky enough to see hedgehogs in your garden, then it’s a good idea to create a few gaps in your fences. These holes will allow them to pass easily through gardens and keep them safe from busy roads.
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Bats
Bats are finding sheltered spots like caves or tree hollows, entering a state of torpor to survive the winter. Torpor is a less extreme version of hibernation (e.g. without a decrease in body temperature) that saves energy. Some species of bats, especially in temperate regions, use torpor daily. For example, they may enter torpor during the daytime and become active at night when temperatures rise, and insects (their primary food source) are available.
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Squirrels
Squirrels are busy collecting nuts and burying them to create food caches. Grey and red squirrels are arboreal, meaning they live in trees where they build nests called dreys. A drey is a messy ball of sticks, lined with soft materials like moss and leaves. They are usually built in tree forks at least six meters above ground. It’s difficult to tell if a drey belongs to a grey or red squirrel unless you spot the squirrel itself. Dreys can sometimes be confused with large bird nests, but squirrel nests often include twigs with leaves, while bird nests typically use bare sticks.
- Migrating Birds
Birds such as swallows and house martins are heading to warmer climates, while geese and whooper swans are arriving from the north to spend winter in the UK. Whooper swans spend their summer in Iceland, northern Scandinavia and Russia where they raise chicks before flying south to spend the winter in the UK.
- DeerDeer, especially red and fallow deer, are in their rutting season, and males can be seen battling for dominance. They are herbivores, feeding primarily on grasses, leaves, bark, and shrubs. In the autumn, they also consume nuts and acorns, which help them build up fat reserves for the winter.
Fascinating Fungi Facts: October’s Hidden Gems
Autumn isn’t just about falling leaves; it’s also fungi season. Fungi are a huge and fascinating kingdom with over 15,000 species in the UK. Our Woodlands come alive with all sorts of mushrooms, from the iconic red-and-white fly agaric to more hidden varieties.
We’ve recently joined Plantlife a fantastic organization that works to protect plant and fungi species in the UK, and they’ve shared some facts about fungi that might surprise you:
- Giant Fungi Networks: Some fungi, like mycelium, form vast underground networks, stretching for miles beneath forests and helping trees communicate by transporting nutrients.
- Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms: Some fungi, such as foxfire, can actually glow in the dark, creating an eerie but beautiful natural light show. These are rare in the UK though.
- Fungi Help Trees Thrive: Fungi form symbiotic relationships with trees, exchanging nutrients in a process known as mycorrhizal association. Without fungi, many trees would struggle to survive.
- World’s Largest Organism: The largest living organism on Earth is a honey fungus in Oregon, spanning over 3.5 miles underground.
- Oyster mushrooms are common in the UK. Carnivorous and oyster-like in appearance, these large, fleshy mushrooms are found in woodlands. They have a signature fan-shaped cap and are edible with a slight odour like aniseed.
BBC Earth said it is estimated 3.8 million fungi exist worldwide – and yet, more than 90% of them are currently unknown to science. And, you might be surprised to learn, the mushroom kingdom can be quite animalistic, too: they breathe like us, and some are known to even eat flesh! Genetically speaking, they’re more closely related to animals than plants.
Kid-Friendly Nature Activities for October
Spending time outdoors is a wonderful way for children to connect with nature. Here are some fun and educational activities perfect for this time of year:
- Conker Crafts: Collect conkers from horse chestnut trees and use them to make traditional games and decorations such as wreaths. We use them to make homemade natural detergent (you can read how to do this on our website). Conkers were used in the past as a soap substitute!
- Fungi Hunt: October is fungi season, and woodlands are full of amazing mushrooms. Look for colourful toadstools, bracket fungi, or the strange and spooky fly agaric. This mushroom’s the one with a red cap and white spots. It looks pretty but it’s toxic if consumed raw, causing hallucinations, dizziness, and nausea. It forms a beneficial relationship with trees, exchanging nutrients through their roots. So be sure not to touch or eat anything without expert guidance. There is an excellent online guide on the Wild Food UK website.
- Build a Wildlife Shelter: Encourage kids to collect leaves, twigs, and other natural materials to create shelters for small creatures like hedgehogs or insects. A Hedgehog House is simple to create, you just need a low, enclosed box with a tunnel-like entrance (around 13 cm by 13 cm). Ensure the roof is weatherproof by adding a layer of waterproof material or leaves on top.
- Pumpkin Bird Feeder: Repurpose your carved pumpkin by filling it with birdseed and hanging it in your garden as a bird feeder.
What to Do with Your Pumpkin After Halloween
Once Halloween is over, there are many ways to make sure your pumpkin is put to good use rather than being thrown away. It’s not advisable to put them in woodland as they take a long time to break down and as they rot, they damage delicate woodland ecosystems, attract rats and can be fatal to animals like hedgehogs.
Here are some creative and eco-friendly ideas:
- Roast the Seeds: Pumpkin seeds make a delicious and nutritious snack. Clean them, season with salt or spices, and roast them for a crunchy autumn treat.
- Compost It: Pumpkins break down quickly and can be added to your compost pile to help fertilize your garden.
- Pumpkin Bird Feeder: Fill the hollowed pumpkin with birdseed and create a DIY bird feeder. Push sticks through to make perches for birds to land on.
- Donate to Local Farms: Many animals, such as pigs and chickens, love to snack on pumpkins. Contact local farms or sanctuaries to see if they’ll accept your leftover pumpkins.
- Pumpkin Recipes: Use the scooped-out flesh from your pumpkin to make hearty pumpkin soup, pies, or even pumpkin puree for baking.Here’s a simple recipe for Spiced Pumpkin soup – a quick and delicious way to use leftover Jack-O-Lantern flesh, and ready in just 20 minutes. When choosing a pumpkin, make sure the skin is firm, and the base matches the rest of the fruit. If pumpkins aren’t available, butternut squash can be used instead.
- Blend pumpkin flesh, celery, garlic, and spices.
- Simmer with stock and coconut milk for 15 minutes.
- Blend until smooth.
Season, and serve with pumpkin seeds, black pepper, and crusty bread.
How to Help Wildlife This Autumn
October is a crucial time for wildlife as they prepare for winter. By making small changes in your garden, you can give local animals a helping hand. Here are some tips:
- Build a Leaf Pile for Hedgehogs: Create a quiet corner with piles of leaves and branches where hedgehogs can hibernate.
- Create Log Piles for Insects: A pile of logs and twigs can offer a safe space for insects and small animals to shelter through the colder months.
- Feed the Birds: Set up bird feeders in your garden with seeds and fat balls to help birds stay nourished as natural food sources dwindle. The Woodland Trust recommends turning your pumpkin into a bird feeder to give wildlife a tasty snack, while also reducing waste
- Leave out fruit: Apples become abundant in October, attracting a variety of wildlife. Birds like thrushes, blackbirds, and mammals such as badgers and deer often feed on fallen apples. So, leave some on the ground in your garden or a natural area. If they start to soften, they are easier to eat.
- Help birds line their nests: Leave some natural twigs, soft fibres, or dried grass nearby so birds can build nests comfortably inside the box. Strange as it may seem, you could leave cat fur for birds’ nests. After brushing your cat, you can collect the loose fur and place it in areas where birds are likely to find it, such as in a mesh bag, on bushes, or near trees. Ensure that the fur is free from flea treatments, shampoos, or other chemicals, as these could harm the birds or their chicks. Cat fur is soft and helps insulate bird nests, making it ideal for nest building, especially during the colder months.
Screen-Free Fun for all the family
October is full of wonders in the natural world, from changing foliage and migrating birds to fungi and wildlife preparing for winter. It’s a great month to explore parks, woodlands, and nature reserves with your family. Whether you’re collecting conkers, spotting mushrooms, or repurposing your Halloween pumpkin, there are endless ways to engage with nature.
And don’t forget to check out Plantlife, a brilliant organization working to protect the UK’s plants and fungi. We’re proud to support them and continue learning about the natural wonders right at our doorstep.
Remember to visit our social media pages (@RockfordsRockOpera) for more seasonal updates, animal news and nature-related activities to enjoy with your family!
Download our FREE Audiobook Story for all the family.
We’re delighted to share that, for a limited time only, all four parts of Lost on Infinity (animated adventure on apps) are absolutely FREE on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Suitable for listeners of all ages. Download them all now and embark on an unforgettable adventure that celebrates the power of nature and the importance of protecting all living things.
Happy exploring!