Season of mellow fruitfulness

Other than leaves, the colour of Autumn also comes from its fruits. There seem to be more berries and fruits than usual this year on many plants, and lots of colourful pumpkins and squash in the shops.

It is also the season for spotting mushrooms in woods and clearings, such as the poisonous Fly Agaric, seen here pushing up amongst some dead twigs and later as it starts to fruit, as well as the puffball variety below, and the barely visible little Bird's Nest mushrooms, bottom, which pop out spores as they are hit by rain drops.