Death in beauty

The golden-brown foliage of beech (Fagus sylvatica) gilds the tiny plantation Nørre Remise – the only place on the island, where this species still makes a dense stand, the other stands largely having been destroyed by breeding cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo ssp. sinensis). The foliage of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), common elm (Ulmus glabra), grey willow (Salix cinerea), hazel (Corylus avellana), silver birch (Betula pendula), grey poplar (Populus x canescens), aspen (Populus tremula), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) glows in various shades of yellow.

The leaves of guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) and dewberry (Rubus caesius) are flaming red, vying with spindle-tree (Euonymus europaeus) to display the most gorgeous colours. Only the autumn foliage of common alder (Alnus glutinosa) and common oak (Quercus robur) is brown and inconspicuous.

Soon the last butterflies of the year are noticed, a few peacocks (Aglais io) and a single red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), sucking juice from rotten apples and cherry plums on the central field.

The last leaves of the year drop – but autumn has yet another wonderful gift for the eye: the fruits of the spindle-tree. For some time, they have displayed an almost synthetic shade of pink, but now they open, revealing a glaring, orange, succulent layer, surrounding the black seeds. Naturally, this colourful display has but one purpose: to disperse the seeds, which is done by birds.