Our beautiful and prolonged autumn finally behaved as it should and at the end of the second week in October temperatures dropped, the sun went in, rain fell and there were some sharp frosts. I even enjoyed a picnic by a lake in early October, a first for me!

The day before I was in Richmond Park on a lovely warm afternoon, where hordes of dragonflies and damselflies patrolled the brook plus some late summer butterflies, the star of the summer being the lovely red admiral plus comma and holly blue enjoying the weather.

Then in mid-October following a frost, the sunny day saw two small white butterflies and a holly blue, surely a record late sighting?

It was remarkable how on the day autumn proper finally arrived, birds on my feeders, previously quite scarce, suddenly arrived in droves and I wonder if birds can predict the onset of cold weather? Blue, great, coal and long tailed tits, robins and nuthatches (pictured) arrived spending much of the day feeding. But only about five goldfinches joined them and I wonder where the large flocks previously seen in my garden have gone.

Pigeons were quick to mop up spilt seeds, which pleases me because they can prevent rats and mice having a free lunch.

Sadly, I've not seen a dunnock or blackbird on my lawn this year or heard a song thrush singing.