After a heavy downpour, it was a a relief to see sunshine at the start of our walk. But then it clouded over and the sky was dark in the distance. There was also an autumnal nip in the wind as we headed off from Beechern Wood car park across Whitemoor.

However, the weather did not detract from our walk. As usual, the New Forest didn’t disappoint! There is always so much variety in what we see.

We could see House Martins and Swallows swooping and feeding, preparing for their long migration. We could also see Starlings, including one having a ride on a pony!

As we passed Whitefield Moor, it was lovely to see the carriage riders getting ready to go out into the forest.

As we approached Puttles Bridge, the moorland bog was colourful.

There was a little more water in Ober Water at Puttles Bridge than our July walk.

We saw a fungi whilst walking through the woods. Autumnal colours were also appearing, especially in the ferns.

We enjoyed looking at the bridges and Ober water along our route.

As we headed back to the car park, we delighted in these pony companions.

We enjoyed our walk and the sights and sounds of this part of The New Forest and spoke of how lucky we are to live here and have this on our doorstep. We also were lucky with the weather as it stayed dry.