Autumn in Savages Wood
Savages Wood
As readers of my previous post will know, Savages Wood is a small woodland in the Three Brooks Nature Reserve. It’s my closest woodland and I spent a little time walking its numerous paths amongst trips to more extensive but distant woodland and forests this Autumn.
First a little lesson. Healthy tree leaves produce a substance called chlorophyll; chlorophyll absorbs all but green light hence leaves typically appear green! But, when the chlorophyll content reduces other colours, especially yellows, become visible. This reduction in chlorophyll occurs when the amount of sunlight reduces and temperatures start to decline. We know this time as Autumn.
The main factors contributing to the intensity of non-green colours are the tree species, the temperature over time profile, the amount of light and the moisture content of the soil. With so many factors it's not surprising that the same tree can look very different from year to year! These factors also highlight why, for example, trees in Northern England generally change colour and drop their leaves before trees in Southern England or why the change may appear as several waves over a few weeks.
Anyway, lesson over. Autumn in Savages Wood appeared to peak during the third-week of October and pretty much to schedule - perhaps early by a week or two at most. Considering the dry and at times very hot weather that shouldn't have been a surprise but through September and early October I did feel somewhat unclear what Autumn would look like and when it would occur this year.
The walking of dogs is very popular and based on my experience it’s probably what brings most people into the wood. Making photographs with a large camera and tripod takes time and the process is very different to taking quick snaps. So, it was a pleasure to meet and say ‘hello’ to some lovely dogs and their owners who passed by once, twice or more times whilst I was waiting on the light to change and/or the wind to drop.
Below are a few photographs of Savages Wood this Autumn. For those that know the woodland well you may spot that whilst developing I’ve removed the graffiti from the tree I call the ‘Tuning fork’. Unfortunelty, this was only possible on the photograph!
Andy
All images are copyright Andy Gawthrope Photography.
