Bird feeders watch out! The Phoot is about- and it’s stocking up for the winter!
During October and November, the phoot consumes nearly three times its body weight DAILY, in preparation for its hibernation from December to march.
It’s during this time of feasting that you can best hear the distinctive call that gives it its name: ffff-oot! ffff-oot!
So consider putting extra on your bird table this year- to give the birds a chance.
Diet: Socks, underwear, pencils, pens, assorted household items, Jesper’s car keys
Habitat: Under Katerina’s bed
Hello! My name is Katerina, and this is my monster. I caught him myself. I am six.
The sock monster lived under my bed, and ate my stuff. Sometimes I give him the crusts off my sandwiches, because I don’t like them.
He is shy of adults, but comes out when it’s just me. He ate all the crayons in my box.
I was in trouble a bit for feeding him. When I grow up I want to be scientist like my uncle Jesper. That’s why I fed him, and took notes of all the things he ate:
He sleeps most of the day, and comes out at night because he’s nocturnal. He only has two legs, and Uncle Jesper says that’s bipedal. His tail is very strong.
Also called: Hairy Imp / Firelighter / Little Arsonist
Chaotic elemental creature
As the evening draw in and winter creeps closer, fires are rekindled in homes across the country- and with them comes this little mischief maker.
Watch out for your leaf piles, as cute and happy as they look, all it takes is some nice dry tinder and the fire imp will have it alight in moments.
Widely considered a pest (and health and safety issue), any place of buisiness that has an open fire is subject to strict regulations, inspections, and mandatory anti-elemental warding.
(Ornamental Hippogriff on etsy)
First brought to the Britain by the Victorians, the ornamental hippogriff still wanders the grand estate grounds and parkland- and the countryside, as they quickly escaped captivity and flourished independently.
Unlike their large winged cousins, who thrive in cold climates, this breed of small hippogriff prefers mild winters; they keep their short, soft fur all year ’round and don’t grow the distinctive thick white fur that true hippogriffs are known for.
Avid insectivores, these creatures are a great solution to garden pests- particularly fond of slugs and caterpillars.
Due to their association with wealth and land, they often appear on heraldry and in portraits: a symbol of fortune.
(This creature is available for adoption on etsy!)
Woodsprites are there all year round, but it’s in the autumn that their population explodes. That’s when it’s time to gather them up from the overpopulated woods, and spread them out a bit.
They may be curious and playful, but they aren’t the smartest creatures, and need a hand so that their habitats don’t get crowded out.
Sprites are gentle nature spirits, and like to spend their time exploring, eating and sleeping. The live on a diet of tree bark, sap and nuts and berries.
No two sprites look the same, with their own individual markings and features- though some of these do crop up more than others.
Sprites make for affectionate companions, and will happily adjust to house and garden living.
They like having new places to explore!
If you ever get that neck-prickling feeling of being watched, look down. Odds are, you’ll see a pair of golden eyes peering at you from the grass or verge.
Mosswatchers are a little studied phenomenon; a small, curious beast that seems to have only one hobby- care to guess?
They watch.
In fact, they have been known to watch for days at a time, and possibly even longer. Some theorise that they acquire their mossy coats from sitting still for weeks, or even month.
This six legged rodent is an effective harvester, active in hedgerows, farmland, woods and even urban environments from spring to autumn. 
Commonly characterized in folklore and stories as greedy and selfish, the hexury is merely an accomplished survivor; weathering even the harshest winters with ease in their secure, cosy ‘pantries’.
They make their winter home in a variety of places, including rocky crevices, rotten logs and holes in tree roots.
Once their collection is deemed sufficient, they seal themselves inside with a wall of gathered fur, dry grass, mud and saliva. Once secured, a typical hoard can last up to six months, though rarely is that required.
Sometimes called ‘cloud mouse’ or ‘false dragon’, the silkwing is delicate creature that is often romantically described as ‘travelling with the winds’.
As autumn arrives, you’ll see silkwings far more often in the skies along the coast. They’ve flown in from the inland meadows where the spend the summer; riding the strong winds to wheel and gather in flocks of tens to hundreds strong. 
Come early October, after a month of socializing and cementing strong flock relationships, the silkwings migrate to winter in the southern hemisphere.
Goodbye ’til next summer, cloud mouse.
This summer may be full of weird cult activity and necromancer shennanigans, but the Seaflower Institute still has normal work to do.
Well, comparatively normal, I mean. Like, going to check up on an ancient dragon. That kind of normal.
The village of Lyminster in West Sussex is home to Knucker Hole, a supposedly bottomless blue pool. It was in this pool, the legend goes, that the Knucker lived; a fearsome dragon that tormented the local villages, until it was eventually slain- either by a knight in the traditional fashion, or a cunning baker via a poisoned pie.
More likely, the dragon activity subsided due to the dragons hibernation cycle, which typically involves napping for a few hundred years.
We like to keep an eye on the Knucker, so every five years or so, someone goes to check its still alive- and this time it was me and Jesper’s turn. So, armed with dragon repellent and welly boots, we ventured to sussex.
The farmers whose livestock graze in the surrounding fields are certainly taking no chances- as Jesper found out when he accidentally touched the stock fencing.
The pool is pretty secure behind a high gate and barbed wire-topped fence. We were let in, and stood at the edge of the water like two clueless kids on the doorstep of an ancient monster.
One living dragon? Check. Lets not do that again.
I was eating breakfast when I heard it: a rustling in the pantry. Best case scenario: it was a foraging venomstriker; worst case scenario: I had mice.
Turns out, it wasn’t either of those: when I opened the cuboard; armed with a glass and a roll of newspaper, I found this little guy:
This is a devilmite, so named for its horned appearance and tendency to steal food. (i.e. Begone, devilmite!)
It was obviously used to people, and didn’t make a fuss when I took it outside- it even stuck around to suss me out, before scooting over the wall next door (A bakery, where it will probably decimate their stock. Oops.)
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