Autumn is the season for planting, and there are some big changes afoot for us this year!

Usually, the end of August is a lovely time of year with crisp mornings and amazing sunsets. It's not quite so lovely this year - as I write this my feet are freezing and we are considering a little fire tonight! It is palpable that the days are beginning to shorten and that autumn is on its way.

We have been busy on the farm cultivating our rapeseed volunteers. We have just invested in a new Kockerling cultivator and Merv has been hard at work.

This time of year is very special in terms of early morning birdsong. I would like to say that I spring out of bed at 5am to ride out on my bike, but the reality is somewhat less energetic than that (and a bit later as well!).

The sun is shining as we approach the end of the month - but gosh that wind is cold! I thought I would share these photos with you. I am afraid the photography isn't up to much - but I hope you will enjoy nevertheless.

The linnet (Linaria cannabina) is a small finch that can be found in most parts of Great Britain and Ireland. Linnets are known for their melodious song - listen here - and used to be very popular as cage birds.

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Dunnocks are sweet little hedgerow birds, often called “hedge sparrows' but of course they are not a sparrow!

They have a different colouration and a much thinner beak than the sparrow. The males and females are almost identical in colouration. They have sharp pointed little bills; well developed for finding insects in nooks and crannies. Whilst they are designed to eat insects, spiders and worms, they will also eat seeds, particularly in the winter time when natural food is scarce. They hunt for food on the ground, often hopping around in dead leaves under hedges, bushes and woodland. They will perch on low branches and can fly only small distances. When they sing they have a high-pitched whistling ‘tseep’.