This wonderful autumn has finally begun to show signs of back-endishness, although there are still plenty of glorious colours to admire.

Jen and I have taken a few more walks around the lanes, and a longer one around Hollingworth Lake, where the geese, ducks and gulls were as plentiful as ever. But there are suddenly more redwings and fieldfares in the local fields and bushes: favourite winter-migrant thrushes on loan from Scandinavia and farther afield.
Winter does hold certain benefits.
