Brilliant November

The month of November is not usually described as brilliant  but this year the autumn colours have continued to last well into the month, brightening the riverside even on the most dark and dank days with rapidly diminishing hours of daylight. This was the scene on 10th November:

The contrasting colours of Oaks in the foreground and Poplars in the background, along the river bank on 10th November 2018. The brilliant yellow leaves were fragile and did not last very

long once it became windy - but the coppery oak leaves were a lot tougher.

On the same day, not far upstream along the river, the picture was quite different:

The sun falls on the sheltered river through branches retaining some of their leaves - Willows and Blackthorn - but the colours seem spring-like here! Recent rainfall had refreshed the river, with leaves being carried fast downstream, some to form small islands with twigs which are beloved of Moorhens and smaller birds.