Moving into October and past the Autumn Equinox means the nights are closing: The equinox is thought to represent: "the period of struggle between darkness and light, death and life spiritually. It occurs when the night and day are equal.
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We have just had our Harvest Moon and this has related to the timing of the autumnal equinox (September 22, 2020), with the full Moon that occurs nearest to the equinox being the one to take on the name “Harvest Moon.”
Their have been various studies on the effect on humans during periods of a full moon; especially those people with mental illness or how many crimes and fatalities occur during a full moon.Neurotic behaviour and accidents are also linked to the full Moon and could be subjective but fascinating all the same.
There is the age old theory that suggests since the Moon affects large bodies of water such as the ocean (tidal force) it must influence the human body which is approximately 60% water. Coming out of a full moon people can feel energised.
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Bats are thought to hunt by the silvery moon. Bats can be seen often best in autumn as the temperature begins to fall and the nights draw in, many of the small mammals that live in our fields, woodlands and hedgerows forage for extra food to store over the winter and look for a suitable site (a hibernaculum) to hole up in for the coldest part of the year. Other small creatures mice, voles, shrews and Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are also eating vast quantities of food to build up fat reserves which will carry them through to the spring.
Following this period of feasting or gluttony they retreat to somewhere suitably warm and safe to try to enter into a period of hibernation, which can last for up to four months of the year depending on the harshness of the Autumnal change in temperatures.
Also in autumn bats relocate to hibernation roosts and crevices looking for a constant temperature and to avoid frosts and freezing conditions e.g. caves, trees and built structures such as outhouse and barns perhaps.
And it’s not just small mammals that hibernate: Queen bees dig in for the winter and also some species of moths and butterflies, like the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) which hunker down in grassy tussocks. Many of our reptiles and amphibians also hibernate. Adders find warmer crevices under boulders or in dry stone walls so be careful. Newt species spend the winter in the muddy banks of ponds, under paving slabs, piles of wood or in a handy compost heap.
Common Toads (Bufo bufo) are thought to sleep out the winter buried deep in damp places such as leaf piles or compost heaps, before emerging to travel back to their traditional breeding sites in early spring such as the moorland ponds.
The Common Frog (Rana temporaria) which needs to keep damp is able to partially freeze in its state of hibernation before thawing out in spring. Occasionally such species come out of hibernation during any short sunny spells in the winter to make the most of the weak sunshine, only to return to their hiding place when the temperature falls again.
So spare a thought for our wildlife that’s out there sleeping through the winter, hidden away from view deep in their retreats, practising their own life saving techniques and waiting for the first signs of spring and hope as we make our way through the various lunar cycles from now till then.
"Meditation is a great way to help stay in the now. Conservation preserves the future."
RCT
