Grey crows return. These are winter birds of passage, & are never seen with us in the summer. The flocks are feeding down the green wheat on the downs, which is very forward, & matted on the ground. They sow wheat on the downs sometimes as soon as the end of July provided the season is not showery.
The month of Oct. has been very dry: mill-ponds begin to want water. Sheep frolick.
Larks frolick much in the air: when they are in that mood the larkers catch them in nets by means of a twinkling glass: this method they call daring.
One bunting in the northfield: a rare bird at Selborne. * There is this year a remarkable failure of mushrooms: & the more to be wondered at, since the autumn has been both moist & warm. There is a great failure also of trufles in my Brother’s outlet at Fyfield, notwithstanding in simular weather they abounded last year. So that some secret cause influences alike these analogous productions of nature.
The nuthatches are busy rapping with their bills about the wallnut trees: & as I find wall-nuts fallen down there, with holes picked in their shells; no doubt they were made by those birds.
A cock pheasant flew over my house, & across the village to the hanger.
The redbreast’s note is very sweet, & pleasing; did it not carry with it ugly associations of ideas, & put us in mind of the approach of winter.
My largest wall-nut tree produced four bushels & a half of nuts many bunches contained 8, 9, & on to 15 wallnuts each.
The hanging beech-woods begin to be beautifully tinged, & to afford most lovely scapes, very engaging to the eye, & imagination. They afford sweet lights & shades. Maples are also finely tinged. These scenes are worthy the pencil of a Reubens.
The red-breast entertains us with his autumnal song.
Theme Ported to