Autumn really kicked off this month, showing off all it has to offer - the beautiful colours transforming, more misty sunrises, wind swirling fallen leafs around whilst also causing further leafs to tumble to the ground, Starlings started to gather in larger numbers to murmurate, fairytale toadstools could be found in the enchanted woodlands, and we even got to see a little of Jack Frost. For me, Autumn is the most magical season.
The highlight of the month had to be my trip down to Corfe Castle for sunrise, followed by a trip to Brownsea Island to see the red Squirrels, then returning back to Corfe Castle for sunset ...all within a day! It was definitely worth an ultra early start, in order to travel down with a friend, to deepest and darkest Dorset in time for sunrise.
We arrived as dawn was breaking, with mist surrounding the village and blanking the hill where the castle stood. The castle ruins looked very majestic in the semi-darkness and made for quite a haunting scene.
From there our adventure commenced along the lane, to find our way up the hill opposite to the castle, where knew would get the best views. After initially taking the wrong path, we found our way and commenced the steep climb up to the top, through the mist. And as we went higher, slowly the castle became more visible, where the tips of the ruins started to peep through the top of the mist. It was quite surreal, as foggy figures of fellow photographers could be seen scattered all over the hillside, taking their spots ready for the show at sunrise.
We waited with anticipation, and due thick mist and a fair amount of cloud, were not convinced we would get to see a great deal. However, the sun started to rise and was exciting, but the mist still hung thick around the castle. We just snapped away getting what we could, then paused and waited to see if the mist would lift. Sadly, the clouds then closed in and hid the sun for a while - but patience and persistence paid off, as the sun eventually reappeared again and the mist slowly drifted away a little, enabling roofs of houses and the church spire in the village to surface though the mist. And with the sunlight highlighting the mist, it made for a wonderful, ethereal, fairytale scene. Magical. What a way to start the day.
Our trip to Brownsea was slightly later than planned, but was an enjoyable visit in the sunshine, searching for red Squirrels ....although, there were not a huge amount of Squirrels showing sadly - instead we got followed by the Peacocks and their babies, who were very cheeky and highly entertaining. We found one last red squirrel and got a few last photos, before hopping on the ferry back. We then ventured back to Corfe Castle and climbed another steep hill, in order to admire the castle ruins at sunset. And what a fantastic view it was. That, along with a pleasant meal in a cosy, old pub back down in the village, was a perfect way to finish off the day's adventures.
Here is one of my favourite photos from the above trip, and think it perfectly represents the month of October.
