Get set for fizz of frisky siskins

LEMONY ZEST Sight of siskins is an autumnal delight

- with STUART 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.

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 life-affirming than the citric shades of bitter lemon and ripened lime that make the siskin so effervescent?