New autumn colour range

I feel my natural history observations are currently moving from warm summer colours to more restful, sombre autumn hues. It started with checking my moth trap this morning. It was full of Large Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Characters, with a few Dusky Thorns and various Rustics. Every shade of ochre, beige and brown was featured. Even this Angle Shades moth, my first this year, had lost the usual olive green and pink tinges and was dressed in faded browns.

The feeling was reinforced this afternoon at the nature reserve, not just due to the dull, rainy period I chose for my visit. My attention was drawn to the woodland floor, layered with slimy brown leaves and crunchy beech mast, and a lovely collection of different kinds of grey/brown puffballs. These included a few Spiny Puffballs (see extra photo), looking like miniature hedgehogs. Autumn is definitely beckoning.