Did you enjoy your Indian Summer? That was today in case you missed it – a sunny Sunday afternoon to spend in the garden in short sleeves. And what did I notice as I did exactly that?

• There are still lots of wasps around. More than I've seen for a while in fact.
• I saw a Small tortoiseshell butterfly. I'd say this was fairly late to be seeing them.
• The Walnut orb weaver spider that's been living in a crack on the side of the shed all year was out and about showing off how big it has grown. It's a brute of a thing now, and looks like a much scarier version of the classic Garden spider.
• Speaking of which, there are loads of Garden spiders about, plump and making adventurous webs, often across pathways and seemingly impossible spans. That's one in the picture.
• Jays seem even more numerous than in previous weeks, which is saying something.
• There are a lot of ladybirds about. Perhaps they're looking for places to hibernate.
• Still finding hedgehog poo in the garden, but not seen the hedgehog for a whole year.