ONE of my favourite local walks is along the shoreline from Cambus to Alloa because there is always so much wildlife to see, no matter the season.

On my most recent visit, the first signs of the approach of autumn were beginning to materialise, including ripening haws on hawthorn bushes.

They were orange in hue, but over the coming weeks will transform into a beguiling crimson, bringing colour and vibrancy to our path edges.

It seems like only yesterday when hawthorns were last heavy with their autumnal fruit, attracting the attention of cackling fieldfares and redwings.

On one hawthorn bush, a whitethroat flitted, churring-out its grating alarm call. Whitethroats are small summer visiting warblers, and in a few weeks' time will begin their migration to their African wintering grounds.

Whitethroats seem to have been scarcer in Clackmannanshire this year compared to previous years, and I hope this is not a sign of a wider decline.

As I made my way along the track towards Alloa, several flushes of tansies shone out at me.

Tansy is a distinctive flower with its flat-topped pincushion flowerheads.

The plant's dark green leaves are highly aromatic and at one time were popular among French chefs as a flavouring for egg dishes such as omelettes.

Green-veined white butterflies also abounded in the sunnier clearings.

They are delightful butterflies to watch, bounding through the air on sun-glinted wings.

Further along, by the edge of the Forth estuary, the vast reed-bed of Tullibody Inch swept ahead of me like a shimmering sea.

Sedge warblers and reed buntings nest here, and within its protective embrace, I imagine there are many other wildlife secrets still waiting to be discovered.