Look, no leaves!

This November we have enjoyed the unusual sight of rowan trees laden with fruit long after the leaves have fallen. Why? Our rowans are usually snapped up early on by the annual autumn invasion of Scandinavian thrushes - redwings and field fares. Was the invasion late this year? Were there simply too many berries? If the annual influx was indeed late, sheer numbers now seem to be making up for it - there now appear to be tens of thousands of these autumn migrants all across the Speyside area. The abundance of rowans reflects the general abundance of all fruits this autumn - both wild and cultivated. Sign of a hard winter to come? Maybe, but more likely just a reflection of the growing conditions we have had throughout 2009!