In August high summer tips over into signs of autumn. Hedgerows are already laden with ripe berries and seeds, attracting birds, butterflies and mammals to feast, while fungi are evident in woodlands, especially in a damp season. In upland areas of the north and west, heather moorland is in glorious bloom, while roebucks are active rutting and in the Caledonian forest pine martens embark on their courtship chase. Around Britain's coasts, waders en route from Arctic breeding grounds stop to refuel on estuaries and marshes, and August is also a prime month to see migrating petrels and shearwaters. Swifts and swallows feed on flying insects in preparation for their long migration and dragonfly numbers reach their peak.

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