Redwing

Most come from Iceland and the Faroe Islands, but some also migrate from Scandinavia and parts of Russia.

The Red Wing is part of the Trush family, though smaller than our Songtrush.

In Irish they are called Jargon Snachta, the little red one of the snow.

Their rusty underwing and cream eyebrows make them easy to identify as the feet on haws and rose hips in the hedgerows are luck for worms in the field.

Red wings migrate at night and their seep-seep call in the third or fourth week of October is worth listening out for.

Field fairs, Sakon, follow later than the Red Wings, and the numbers arriving depend on the weather and berry crop in their homeland.

For me, they are more of a November bird than an October one.

Overhead, the hunting of cougar swans back from Iceland is a special time.