As late autumn finally breezes in, we can now look forward to welcoming the first redwings arriving from Scandinavia and neighbouring regions and just how cold those areas are.

Under a starry sky, from about midnight, we can sometimes hear the redwings calling to one another as they fly overhead uttering their 'seep-seep' contact calls. They always arrive overnight, negotiating with reference to the stars and certain magnetic features on earth. Joining them will be fieldfares with their population much smaller. Whereas redwings congregate in large flocks, fieldfares tend to be more isolated.

This autumn the berry crops on a variety of trees and shrubs are prolific, so there will be plenty of food for all, as song and mistle thrushes and blackbirds join in the feast.

Redwings tend to leave berries when they arrive and concentrate on feeding in grassy areas on earthworms and a range of invertebrates. Only when the weather turns really cold will they flock to the berries and in some areas may strip a whole tree within a day.

With luck, if the weather turns really cold we may also see waxwings descending in droves to feed on the berries.