Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway: Autumn activity is in full swing – particular overhead, as the migrants arrive from colder climes, bringing in a beautiful rarity too

It’s like gatecrashing a Bruegel every morning at Fairy Hill at the moment, and even with sunrise at 7.30am there is autumnal activity in the fields, rooks on the treetops, brown hares by the stone wall, the farmer on his quad and my nearest neighbour chopping wood. Sadly, the fine-looking but hapless young Aberdeen Angus bull is showing no inclination to mate with the females for a second season and is likely to be relegated. Small parties of migrant fieldfares and redwings are feasting on the worms, brought to the surface by the trampling of the 200 Holstein milkers, while the resident green woodpecker or “yaffle” laughs his way “doon the brae”.

But at this time of year it is overhead where the real action is, and just now several hundred noisy barnacle geese flew over on their way from Svalbard in the Arctic Circle to the Solway wetlands. When the stragglers arrive, their number will reach 30,000, the majority overwintering along the coast at WWT Caerlaverock.