As winter approaches, autumn is the time for wildlife to feast and build up reserves to last the long cold winter.

Autumn is a time when summer's lush greens become browns and oranges, punctuated with pops of red and purple berries. This is a time of nature's plenty, with a wonderful hedgerow harvest of blackberries, rose hips, crab apples, hazelnuts and seeds. For many birds it’s about arrivals and departures, some flying south. There is still much to see and enjoy as wildlife prepares for the long, cold winter.

The vibrant colours of summer flowers are replaced by equally dazzling displays of purple, red, orange, and yellow in our native woodland. As the green of chorophyll in leaves is broken down, it reveals yellow flavonols, orange carotenoids and red to purple anthocyanins. The mixture of these compounds differs between species to give us such magnificent displays.

Winter is the toughest time of year for wildlife but even at this, the darkest, coldest and least promising time of year, life goes on. While some animals such as hedgehogs and dormice hibernate, there's still a lot of wildlife active at this time of year.

Summer is a time of plenty and colour. Wildflower meadows burst into colour, butterflies fit between flowers and dragonflies and damselflies go about their business of hunting. Enjoy all the wildlife on offer at this time of year.

Spring is such an thrilling time of year as wildlife bursts into action after the cold winter months. Bluebells, primroses and cowslips adorn our woods and grasslands, migrant birds return and bird song is at its peak with the deafening dawn chorus.

In May, June and July a succession of rare orchids flower in abundance in our wildflower meadows. Here's our pick of the best Nature Reserves to see these exotic flowers.

Here are the best places for everyone in the family to enjoy nature this autumn.