We asked our readers to send in their best pictures on the theme of "autumn colours". Here is a selection of the photographs we received from around the world.
Alan Brown
Alan Brown: "Some gorgeous backlit autumn leaves in Farnborough."
Sean Iceton: "Two leaves hold out while the rest of this Japanese dogwood complies with the autumnal laws of nature."
Mike Wright
Mike Wright: "The River Tavy at Denham passes under a bridge and then into a very deep pool. The autumn leaves coming down the river are pulled down into the depths of this pool and are eventually returned to the surface. They appear to be performing a slow and stately dance, swirling around each other. Occasionally, one reaches the surface and that is the time to take a shot."
Tim Jones
Tim Jones: "I was out with my camera in Alderley Edge Woods enjoying the last of the autumn colours on a bitterly cold frosty morning. When I spotted these three people walking further in front of me, I couldn't resist getting a quick photo of them."
Mark O'Brien
Mark O'Brien: "The trees along the banks of Walkerwood Reservoir have a spectacular display of autumn colours reflected in the still water."
Angus Dobbie
Angus Dobbie: "This small stagshorn fungus was as colourful as any leaf in the autumn sunshine."
Stephanie Davis
Stephanie Davis: "Driving back to Arizona but I took the back roads to see the change in colours."
Stewart Cooke
Stewart Cooke: "Autumnal leaves floating on a tiled Lisbon pond."
Matthew Logan:
Matthew Logan: "The colours of autumn on every ear."
Diana Walker
Diana Walker: "A red squirrel reflection in Finland."
Linda St Louis
Linda St Louis: "Autumn is often associated with golden colours as the leaves die and regenerate. A walk through Epping Forest on a freezing day offered a different autumnal view in full colour. Perhaps not the colours we expect."
Ray Got
Ray Goti: "This is autumn in a vase."
Henry Matthiessen III
Henry Matthiessen III: "An ancient oak tree proudly shows off a proud autumn statement in the Driftless Region near Galena, Illinois."
Diane Langford
Diane Langford: "Our local woods had a bumper crop of mushrooms this autumn, which gave me a chance to admire their beauty."
Mireille Berthoud
Mireille Berthoud: "These winter visitors arrive in late autumn. They can strip a tree of berries in a day."
Miles Astray
Miles Astray: "Nature's most beautiful murder, winter killing off the leaves, premeditated and cold. This shot of a sidewalk covered in blood-red maple leaves was taken on a rainy autumn day in Vancouver, Canada."
Tom Reynolds
Tom Reynolds: "I discovered this chestnut after it fell to the ground. I was fascinated by the three chestnuts in one case. They look like three exotic birds."
Graham Woollven
Graham Woollven: "This atmospheric avenue of trees in part of Matlock Forest in Derbyshire made for a strong autumn subject in the late afternoon light."
Mark Sewell
Mark Sewell: "A fly sitting on a fly! Fly agaric toadstool in an autumnal Kentish woodland."
Alice Johnson
Alice Johnson: "Whilst this photo might not at first glance have all the colours of autumn, hopefully you start to notice the orange-yellow leaves of the sunflowers, the cool morning mist, and the dew on the shrubs. The sunflowers themselves are also losing their vibrant yellow-coloured heads, and you can see the heads drooping as they near maturity and the end of their life cycle - an autumnal occurrence."
Joshua Drake
Joshua Drake: "Colourful fungi in last year's autumn colours in our local woods in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire."
Dave Tarvit
Dave Tarvit: "It was worth getting out of a warm bed to catch the morning sun on the last of Bath's autumnal leaves. Glad we brought a flask of coffee though."
Piero Pruneri
Piero Pruneri: "Chestnut season."
Donald Taylor
Donald Taylor: "I used a wide-angle lens to capture this fungi against the sky with a lovely autumn feel."
Shane Sands
Shane Sands: "Autumn morning in the Glens of Antrim."
The next theme is "bright lights" and the deadline for entries is 19 December 2023.
Alan Brown
Cris Katch
Sean Iceton
Mike Wright
Tim Jones
Mark O'Brien
Angus Dobbie
Stephanie Davis
Stewart Cooke
Matthew Logan:
Diana Walker
Linda St Louis
Ray Got
Henry Matthiessen III
Diane Langford
Mireille Berthoud
Miles Astray
Tom Reynolds
Graham Woollven
Mark Sewell
Alice Johnson
Joshua Drake
Dave Tarvit
Piero Pruneri
Donald Taylor
Shane Sands
