EVERY spring, people across the country eagerly await the arrival of birds such as the swallow, swift and cuckoo, which return to Britain to breed and raise a family. We may not be so aware of another group of migrants: those that come each autumn from the north and east to spend the winter months on the British Isles. These birds might not travel quite so far across the globe, yet their arrival is, if anything, even more of a spectacle, as they gather in vast flocks to feed in our fields, marshes, estuaries and coastlines.
They include many large birds, such as ducks, geese, swans and waders. Yet, among their number is a host of songbirds, such as starlings, thrushes and even some warblers —birds we traditionally think of…
