With a warm mainly southerly airstream, few misty murky but some dewy moisty mornings and much mellow fruitfulness, balmy autumn has lingered longer this year.

Having no frosts or strong winds to contend with and pluck tired leaves from the trees, the glorious colours have glowed well into November.

Watching the memorial service at the Cenotaph on November 13, I noticed that trees lining Whitehall were still in leaf whereas ten years ago, the service would have been conducted under completely bare trees.

So, is this proof of global warming?

Fruitfulness there certainly was with bumper crops of berries acorns and beechmast while even good sized conkers were plentiful despite the onslaught of leaf-miner moth.

Horse chestnuts are real 'conkering heroes' as they seem to survive each year although leaves turn brown, crinkled and scarred from early summer.

Weather in eastern Europe has also been mild so our winter visiting swans, redwings, fieldfares and other species are slow to arrive.

Standing outdoors on a still evening, it is possible to sometimes hear, with luck, the thin "seep seep" calls of redwings flying overhead on migration here from Scandinavia.

There have been several sightings of large broods of mallard ducklings being born in November!

Blackbirds bicker as territories are disputed, many birds are paired off and dragonflies are still on the wing.

So, if this is springtime, can winter be far behind?