A gallery of photographs and poems about Autumn

AUTUMN

Capturing the beauty, bounty, abundance of Nature during the harvest season as the air starts to cool, the nights start to draw in and the the sun shines lower in the sky.

Soldier Beetle

An armoured beetle soldiers on,
A force of life in the heat of the sun,
Long and slender with leatherlike wings,
Polllinating flowers in the early spring.
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Red Admiral Butterfly

Magnificent butterfly with black velvet wings,
I see your white spotted tips and bright orange bands,
A welcome migrant from northern climes,
A symbol of transformation, joy and happy times.
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Honey Bee

Honey scented matico, a magnet for bees,
Bright orange ball flowers attract them with ease,
Bursting with nectar and pollen to please:
A delicious scent on a gentle breeze.
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Harlequin Ladybird

Bringer of fortune, innocence and love,
Ladybugs remind us to live life to the full,
A gift to brighten any day,
Transformations with happy resolutions are on their way.
Hover Fly

Hamless hoverfly, gardener's friend,
A suit so glossy with striking bands,
With wings that hover at impossible speeds,
This skilled deceiver mimics bees.

Feeding on aphids, bugs and thrips,
Pollinating flowers where're she goes,
Like a hornet but with larger eyes and lack of sting,
The stunning belted hoverfly is a beautiful thing.
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Burnet Moth

A red spotted moth found on the dunes,
Resting on a striking Viper's-Bugloss bloom,
Glossy black with six spots on its long, narrow wings,
Slowly fluttering in and around the reeds.
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Cotton Thistle

Head down and diving in,
A bee loves nectar rich thistles like these,
They are bright and lucious and sweet as can be,
With fine cotton hairs on their stems and leaves.
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Flower Crab Spider

Without a web to catch its food,
The flower crab spider sits and broods,
Laying in wait for an insect, moth or bee,
To land on the flower where they come to feed.
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Sleeping Snails

Tiny lemon snail sleeping under a leaf,
Not far from the sea on a sandbar reef;
Tucked up closely to an accommodating friend;
Safe and cosy as the wind blows and the leaves bend.
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Gold Ringed Dragonfly

A riverland wonder from the southern glades,
On her way to her breeding place,
Resting to gather warmth in the sun,
Before going on her way.

Fast and angile, sleek and strong,
With stunning markings in black and gold,
Her beauty would be hard to replace,
A living symbol of elegance, happiness, peace and grace.
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Busy Bee

A bee can travel ten miles a day to gather food,
Sweet nectar and pollen to feed her brood,
Never a moment's rest for this busy bee,
A joy to hear and a delight to see.
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Sacred Snail

Slow to move but steady and true,
Snails know which way to go,
Carrying their home in their spiral shells,
Reminding us to take our time and consider our decisions well.
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Daisy Trap - Photograph by Sue Cartwright, Spiral Leaf

Ladybird Bridge - Photograph by Sue Cartwright, Spiral Leaf

Copper Coloured Beetles - Photograph by Sue Cartwright, Spiral Leaf

Moss on Wood

An old ancient tree, felled by a storm,

Crashed to the ground but life doesn't end there,

Roots deep, new shoots and bark decaying,

Food, nourishment and shelter for Nature's creatures.
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Autumn Walk

Pausing on the bridge, river rippling beneath,

Sunshine dappled trees and birds singing,

Looking out to the fields, wet with rain, glistening,

Beling close to Nature, heart singing.
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Nature's Symmetry

A fern's spores, perfect in diminishing size and space,

Ancient in miraculous form and function,

Ripening slowly under leafy green fronds,

Through Winter to the Spring season.
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Morning Sunshine

Sunshine white in a clear blue sky,

Crisp and fresh from a night of rain,

Raindrops spill from leaves and branches,

Butterflies dance in the Nettle patches.
Fallen Tree

A beautiful crisp, sunny day,

Ideal for exploring, along rivers, across fields,

Then into the woods, on a path soft with fallen leaves,

Birds singing brightly in the trees.
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Leaves on Moss

Rain soaked, dying down,

Leaves fallen on an old bough,

An ancient tree, bright with moss,

Nature's sponge, in effervescent green.
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Fir Cone Fruits

Nature's fruits are everywhere,

On the ground, in hedgerows and trees,

These tiny pine cones, miniature swirls,

Bring seeds and life, and pleasure to me.
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Fallen Apples

An apple feast for bugs and beetles,

For hungry birds and other creatures,

Never wasted, never not appreciated,

By wildlife who frequent here for the season's healthy pickings.
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Bright Red Barries

Beautiful trails of berries,

Bright red and full of goodness,

For birds and a host of wildlife,

At the end of the Autumn season.
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Woodland Fungi

Wild mushrooms on slender stems,

Grounded in the Earth, poised for the light,

So delicate and pale, a miracle of life,

Found on woodland floors through the cooler months.
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Fallen Leaves

Sunshine and rain, a delicious mix of Nature's finest things,

Leaves fall to the ground, in an artwork of colour, profound,

As the natural world in a cycle of texture and sound,

Brings love and light to our world.
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Turkey Tail Fungi

An old log soaked in rain,

Home to bright green moss and Turkey Tail,

Fungi fanned in shell-like shelves,

As pretty as a picture.
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