Country diary: Eyes to the skies for autumn's mass migration | Lev Parikian

Hampstead, London: Spring has the dawn chorus, autumn has "vismig", the changing of the guard of millions of birds - an early start for me, then, to try and glimpse this remarkable phenomenonI've monitored the autumn forecast. Mushrooms and conkers, good, occasional blackberries; acorns crunching underfoot, moderate; spiders' webs and cosy jumpers intensifying; severe crumble-making, veering west.And migrating birds. Storm Amy has passed, and with air pressure rising, there's the whiff of a seasonal treat: visible migration - "vismig" for short. They travel in their millions - summer visitors outgoing southwards, winter arrivals incoming from the north. Swallows, pipits, thrushes, finches and more. A remarkable population shift to mark changing seasons. Many fly by night, but some are diurnal, and at the right time and place, you might see a slice of this unrivalled phenomenon. Spring has its dawn chorus; vismig is autumn's gift. Continue reading...