Venture out in search of late summer's surprises

WHILST the ideal August might see blue skies and warm temperatures, it is inevitably the month in which summer starts its segue into autumn.

- By ERIN McDAID

Although our seasons were never entirely neatly framed, climate change has led to a distinct blurring of the edges of seasonal shifts, and this summer has already thrown up some interesting anomalies.

August should be a month in which to enjoy displays of pink and purple heather and the last of the wildflowers in late meadows, but as a result of a record-breaking dry spring and a succession of summer heatwaves, heather is well past its peak in many places and hayfields have long since been cut and baled.

The prolonged dry spell and summer heat means many of the green hues in the landscape have already taken on a range of autumnal golds and yellows.

On the plus side, the early harvest of crops such as wheat and barley means there's a good chance of spotting hares in the stubble fields.

With much of the landscape parched, you might choose to take a walk by water and a stroll by a river or canal will at least provide opportunities to enjoy the sight of colourful dragonflies as numbers reach their peak, or the flash of a kingfisher diving for a fish or flitting between bankside perches.