Autumn Watched...more than I bargained for

LAST weekend I snatched a visit to the Somerset Levels, to see the delights of Autumn.  It was generally a nice day weather-wise and the sun breaking through the clouds provided some dramatic views.  The birds of note were peregrine, great white egret, marsh harrier, kingfishers and early winter ducks.  I also hoped to be able to photograph some fungi.

 

 

I wondered from the path on one nature reserve into a patch of old pasture -woodland where I thought that fungi might be present and there were some.  At one point I ducked under a fallen branch from an oak tree and caught an elastic string from my rucksack (which was on my back) on a knobbly bit of the branch.  This stopped me in my tracks - so I turned and freed it from the trees grasp.  I then noticed a loud buzzing noise and spotted a hornet.  I then realsied that the hornets had a nest exactly where my rucksack had been caught.  They did not seem to mind my presence but I did not get too close when taking the photographs, as they flew sorties around me and off into the wood...!

 

Reeds

Autumn bounty

 

More hornet images: