This November has been one of the most colourful months of the year on the Barff. The trees have started their transition into the colder winter months. Leaves that were intense green earlier in the year have burst into a fiery palette of yellows, oranges, reds, and russet browns, but as the month draws to a close the majority of the leaves have now fallen to the woodland floor, and the trees start to save energy for the colder months which lie ahead.  No matter what the weather has been like (and it has been dull, wet, and overcast during most of my early morning visits to the Barff) I cannot but marvel at the wonderful display of colours they have produced this year.

It has been exceptionally wet on the Barff this month with higher than average rainfall, the rain falling most days be it during the day but mostly during the night and into the early hours. That said we still have a long way to go before we come out of the ‘Drought’ situation we have been in for the past number of months. Yorkshire's reservoirs and groundwater supplies are recovering at different rates due to varied rainfall in those areas, but at the end of November, the reservoir levels across our region increased to 84% capacity. Currently, Yorkshire remains in official drought status, with hose pipe bans still in place until sufficient recovery across all reservoirs is achieved which should not now be long as our current rainfall is at 143% above the long-term average.

 Storm Claudia hit North Yorkshire during the middle of November, bringing with it yellow weather warnings for strong winds and heavy rain. Over that weekend we endured a month’s worth of rainfall on the county resulting in high river levels on the Ouse, Ure, Derwent which resulted in flooding in the dales and several parts of West Yorkshire. The following week saw our first notable snowfall on the Barff, the wind changed to a northerly direction on the 16^th and brought a cold blast which stayed with us for the next week, with light snow flurries on the afternoon of Wednesday 19^th, but soon dissipated with the proceeding rain. The following morning was another bitterly cold day, fortunately I had just returned home with the dogs, and by mid-morning the light rain slowly turned to snow with the snow falling for the next few hours covering the ground with a light covering of snow. Rain later that evening cleared most of it away but the temperature dropped to -2c overnight with a hard frost. Friday 21^st was cold all day, several light patches of snow remaining on the sheltered areas of the woodland, though rain later in the day soon melted what snow was left. The cold and unsettled weather continued for the reminder of the month with the ground very wet and waterlogged in places. The last weekend of the month saw another yellow weather warning for heavy rain which saw another 30 mm of rain fall on the woodland in just a 24-hour period. Despite the weather though, one of my highlights this month was watching six large Roe deer grazing in one of the fields along the bypass trail, easily recognised by their white rumps, completely oblivious to my and the dog’s presence. Another which I mentioned in my introduction was the beautiful autumnal colours around the woodland, not only from the trees but the ferns too. These incredible plants have evolved from more than 300 million years ago, when dinosaurs were roaming the land! The ferns do not flower but send out tiny spores which can float huge distances in the wind and remain dormant for decades. As the new fronds unfurl in the spring, they resemble the head of a violin, hence their old folk names of ‘fiddleheads’ and ‘croziers.’ Another highlight was listening to the return of the Mistle Thrush singing its head off on the 28^th it had some stiff opposition from the Song Thrush and Robin but was good to hear.

The Barff’s fungi continued to put on a good show especially during the first half of November, though there was still lots to see as the month comes to an end. Several moss-covered tree stumps can still be seen covered in Candle Snuff fungi, Hairy Curtain Crust fungi is still growing at an alarming rate around the woodland, its golden florets forming various patterns on the surface of the damp rotten tree branches and trunks. Jelly Eared fungus can still be seen in several places, along with Pale Brittlestem, and Cloudy Clitocybe. It has been a bumper month for Fly Agaric with it shooting up in several new areas of the woodland, though by the middle of the month it had all but died back. Clumps of Sulphur Tuft are still appearing at the bottom of decaying trees, along with the distinctive Jelly eared fungus.

Birdsong continues to be vibrant around the woodland though some mornings are more difficult to hear than others due to a combination of strong winds, heavy rain, and road noise from the bypass. Robin, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Crows, Great Tit, Dunnock, and Magpies can be heard most mornings, whilst Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tits, Jays, Tree Creeper, Greenfinch and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers are more selective when and where they decide to join the morning chorus. It has been good to hear the Mistle Thrush back on the Barff as November draws to a close. Since the late 1970’s this beautiful bird a little larger than the Song Thrush has undergone a massive decline in its numbers, so much so that by 2015 it was placed on the UK Red List.

Work has been continuing by the contractors employed by Yorkshire Water to build additional facilities on the top meadow. The large drilling rig looks to have been removed, with much unseen work continuing behind the huge privacy screens.

With winter just around the corner, meteorological winter starts on the 1^st December whereas the Winter Solstice starts on Sunday 21^st December, the day with the fewest hours of daylight. The winter months are vital for nature’s (and our) health, hard frosts and cold freezing weather kills lots of germs as well as assisting in breaking up the soil structure. Many of our plants need a period of cold weather for them to flourish in the Spring. Our Crocus and Bluebells, Daffodils and Foxgloves all require a cold snap to set off their germination, and it is much the same as the fruit trees.

There is nothing better on a cold winter’s morning than a walk around the Barff, few pleasures are nicer than seeing the trees laden with snow and a crisp, clear blue sky. I will take this opportunity from myself, Meg, and Gracie to wish you a Very Happy Christmas.