1. Common Lizard

As the weather cools, Common Lizards spend far more of the day basking rather than dashing for cover, which makes them much easier to spot than in high summer. Look on anything that holds heat: gate posts, boardwalks, fallen timber, stone walls and bare stony soils, especially on south-facing banks. Approach slowly — vibration through the ground is what usually sends them scattering. Our Conservation Lead for the South, Caroline, saw three at our Dunscombe Bottom Reserve recently, all sprawled out on exposed ground in the middle of the afternoon.

2. Kestrel

A summer's worth of grass growth means a landscape full of hidey-holes for small mammals. That is very good news for Kestrels. Watch the skies over rough grassland, field margins and road verges for them hanging almost motionless in the wind, searching for their next catch. Autumn's higher prey numbers mean more birds hunting in the open, and a chance of watching one swoop in for a snack.

3. Barn Owl

Earlier sunsets mean hunting that happened in near-darkness in June now begins while there is still decent light to see by. The reedbeds at Langford Lakes and Lower Moor Farm are a good bet to spot these elusive owls, as are meadows across the county. Late afternoon into dusk on a still, dry evening is the time and conditions as owls hunt less in wind and rain.

4. Late Butterflies

Plenty of butterflies are still on the wing, and in autumn they concentrate wherever nectar is left, clustering on late-flowering plants such as Devil's-bit Scabious, Knapweed and Ivy. On chalk grassland, look for the second brood of Common Blue and Adonis Blue — the Adonis is a startling electric blue in the sunshine. Warm, still, sunny mornings give the best views, when butterflies are basking with wings open rather than nectaring with them shut.

5. Brown Hare

Hares can be spotted on the downlands. Their golden-brown coats against dead and dying grass make them difficult to pick out — often the first thing you notice is their black-tipped ears. Scan open arable and hedges and edges with binoculars if you have them, and it is worth checking the same field twice. Watching an unbothered hare feed, wash and stretch is one of the greatest moments of serenity looking during an autumn walk.

6. Roe Deer

Long grass makes a perfect place for Roe Deer to rest. Keep half an eye ahead of you as you walk, particularly along field edges and woodland margins, and you may just spot a head and ears above the seed heads before the deer spots you! Please keep dogs on leads through grassland and woodland at this time of year — a startled deer bolting for a road or fence line can be very dangerous.

7. Fallow Deer 

From late September into October, Fallow bucks gather to start rutting. Their calls carry a long way through still woodland air. Watch and listen from a distance, stay on paths, and keep dogs on leads: rutting bucks are large, powerful animals.

Tips for spotting Wildlife:

• Go slowly - Wildlife can be easily startled; most wildlife is seen by people who are standing still
• Keep dogs on leads and stick to paths
• Give animals space - If something changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close
• Record what you see - Your sightings help build a picture of how Wiltshire's wildlife is faring - please record them with the Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre

Whatever you spot, we would love to see it. Tag us in your autumn photos on social media and let us know what you have found!