91Èȱ¬

The BirdTrack weekly reporting rate shot up as birders saw these Scandinavian immigrants pour in - a real sign of autumn.

A smartly-dressed member of the thrush family, fieldfares can be distinguished from their relatives by their grey hood, ruddy-brown back, grey rump and entirely black tail. Migrating flocks often communicate using a distinctive 'chack-chack-chack' call.

There has also been a dramatic rise in reports of over the last couple of weeks. This is probably the result of birds arriving at wintering sites in central and southern Britain from further north. These small finches breed in Britain, Belgium, Germany, Holland and a few isolated mountain areas in southern Europe, including the Alps. They have a penchant for alder and birch trees and can sometimes be seen with their better-known relatives, .

Look out for this week. They are quite secretive in the breeding season but become noisy and obvious in autumn. You can see them in woodland, parks and gardens at this time of year. I've seen them and heard their harsh calls right in the centre of Bristol and even around the main 91Èȱ¬ Bristol site.

One things that makes them easier to see is their hording behaviour. They will return time and time again to a food source, such as a fruiting oak tree or birdtable, carrying off acorns or peanuts to bury for leaner times later in the winter. Jays can carry several acorns at a time, which explains why you may find a few oak seeds growing together in your lawn next year!