Country diary: A bumper harvest awaits the autumn visitors | Sean Wood

Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway: Hawthorns, rowans and rose hips are bent double under the weight of their crop - a fine prize for any migrant redwings or fieldfaresThe cuckoos and swifts are long gone, while the swallows are gearing up to head south, as the remaining house martin stragglers see off their second and third broods at Fairy Hill. It has been a good year, the highlight: 40 hirundines hawking flying ants in early August, and a single female sparrowhawk cruising through the throng with neither species batting an eyelid.As one group of birds leave, there is great anticipation for an influx of redwings, fieldfares and hopefully waxwings from "up north", not least because the hawthorns, rowans, rosehips are bent double with the weight of this year's berry crop. It was thought at one time that the northern birds could somehow sense a glut in the UK. More likely it is a poor berry crop in Scandinavia that drives "irruptions" here - indeed, I hear from mid-Sweden that that is the case. Continue reading...