AS the faded leaves of many hues flutter and spiral earthwards in a blustery wind, I can never resist the childish delight of kicking those leaves piled up on the pavement as I walk.

Now, with winter drawing ever closer, I look forward to welcoming our winter visiting birds, namely redwings and fieldfares which will shortly fly in from northern Europe to spend the colder months here.

Nature Notes: Listen out for owls

The number of redwings coming in depends to a great extent on how severe the weather is in Scandinavia. Last year, for example, I saw fewer birds compared with previous winters so it will be interesting to see what happens this year.

There is an abundance of berries on a selection of bushes this autumn, what I call 'berried treasure' so the birds will have plenty to eat when they arrive.

However, blackbirds thrushes and redwings instinctively leave holly, pyracantha, hawthorn berries alone until late in the winter, relying on grasslands to provide earthworms and invertebrates to tide them over until the berries are fully ripe.

Nature Notes: Autumn has so much to offer

Unlike most birds, I have always found redwings to be quite approachable as the photograph taken just two metres away shows.

At this time of year I also think about our swallows arriving in South Africa to spend the winter among the reed beds around Capetown, while my garden goldfinches have finally returned in force.