There was a definite autumnal feel when I visited Raisby Hill again at the end of September, despite the glorious sunshine.  Though I still found over 20 species in flower, in most cases these were just the last few stragglers. The meadow areas have been given their end of year cut and the Trust’s Exmoor ponies have taken up residence in the area round the ponds and are already making inroads into the Meadowsweet and Agrimony which dominated in the summer, to make sure diversity is maintained. Their manes hold a good sample of what’s currently in seed!

There is nothing in flower I haven’t seen earlier in the year though there is a second flush of flowers on some unlikely candidates, such as Lady’s mantle, prompted by having been cut back. The only new kids on the block this time are more fungi – tiny bright red Waxcaps and chunky Birch boletes.

The bracken along Raisby Beck is turning golden now, well before the leaves on most trees.  Although it looks pretty, bracken’s invasive tendencies mean it really needs to be kept in check here – a good task, perhaps, for some of the Wildlife Trust’s volunteers.

Here is September’s list of plants in flower – quite a few of them, typically for this time of year, members of the daisy family.

Perforate St John’s-Wort	Hypericum perforatum
Common rock-rose	Helianthemum nummularium
Agrimony	Agrimonia eupatoria
Smooth lady’s mantle	Alchemilla glabra
Red clover	Trifolium pratense
Bush vetch	Vicia sepium
Herb-Robert	Geranium robertianum
Wild angelica	Angelica Sylvestris
Burnet-saxifrage	Pimpinella saxifrage
Yellow-wort	Blackstonia perfoliata
Viper’s bugloss	Echium vulgare
Betony	Betonica officinalis
Eyebright	Euphrasia agg.
Harebell	Campanula rotundifolia
Field scabious	Knautia arvensis
Devil’s-bit scabious	Succisa pratensis
Common knapweed	Centaurea nigra
Greater knapweed	Centaurea scabiosa
Hawkweed	Hieracium agg.
Common ragwort	Jacobea vulgaris
Autumn hawkbit	Scorzoneroides autumnalis
Oxeye daisy	Leucanthemum vulgare