THESE FINCHES WILL SOON BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY TO ESCAPE THE WINTER

HALLOWEEN is putting the countryside under a spell. Leaves are caramelising to the colours of pumpkin pie and hedgerow fruits glow a devilish red.

- Stuart Winter

The inky night has begun echoing to the eerie hoots of male tawny owls staking territories, while the first coppery-toned redwings and bramblings migrate noisily overhead with whistles and sneezes.

As autumnal hues and sounds enchant the landscape, a verdant explosion is breathing life into spooky woodlands and gardens hunkering down for the winter.

For can there be anything more lifeaffirming than the citric shades of bitter lemon and ripened lime that make the siskin so effervescent?