THE FIRST snap of cold weather was late coming this year. The hard frost on Wednesday night of last week followed close on the heels of a long spell of very mild, even warm weather with people still walking about in skimpy tops and shorts, normally hardly the thing for the month of October.

The trees have suddenly donned more of an autumn cloak with leaves turning into the beautiful colours that make this time of year so picturesque.

One great advantage to the birdwatcher is the fact that leaves are now falling from the trees and it will be much easier to see the birds that, up until now, we have had to locate by calls only.

Locating birds by their calls is a brilliant way to go birdwatching. Not always easy as so many species, even though they have very distinctive song, have so many similar calls. But there is always a great deal of satisfaction when, upon hearing a call, knowing where to look for the bird and, when finally locating it, finding that identification has been correct.

Recently I was on the side of a steep valley, in a wood overlooking the River Exe. Despite thick drizzle, it was quite still, the only sounds coming from the falling leaves as they settled onto a growing colourful carpet.

Then there were the birds. Most distinctive and, with a bit of concentration, fairly easy to locate, were several nuthatches. A continuously repeated chwit' call drew my attention to this great little bird, almost looking like a mouse as it runs both up and down trunks and branches.

Although the wood consisted mainly of deciduous trees, there were several conifers and each one seemed to have its resident goldcrest. These, the smallest British bird, were not easy to spot, but with a concerted effort, could be located working away at the very tips of the foliage.

Most surprising bird seen was a hobby. Surely much too late for this migrant bird of prey! At first I thought it was a kestrel, but with a good long view of the falcon, I'm positive that the long sickle-shaped wings were those of a hobby.

Anyway, I was left in no doubt about the next raptor that I saw. It was a superb peregrine that flew rapidly past overhead. I have seen it on several occasions in the same location and know that it has nested in a nearby quarry.

Autumn heralds a great time of year for birdwatchers, so get on those warm clothes and head out to your nearest woods to practice your bird call identification skills.

Diary dates: Saturday, November 18. Cheddar Reservoir and Chew Valley. Meet at car park map ref ST446535, 10am. Led by Stuart Hill (Taunton 400918). Friday, November 24. Migration'. Illustrated talk by John Webber. Trull Memorial Hall, 7.30pm.