Sunday 04 November, Gaucin, light rain showers, light-fresh W wind, 18C: Three more days of rain, some of it very heavy, has prevented any birding; anyone who has been here during a 'whiteout' will know what it's like. Today was better, there were a few Black Redstart on the village roofs, the winter House Sparrow flock in the garden has built up to a noisy 20+, there were 30+ Starling sp. roosting on a tower crane oppposite the petrol station and I saw a Sparrowhawk from the terrace! The forecast for the coming week is not very encouraging; after the spring/summer drought let's hope we don't have another very wet winter like 2009.....