AN acquaintance, very recently retired, told me he was seeking a new interest in life and was casting around for suitable ideas.

As he had spent a lot of his life living in the suburbs and working in an office, I suggested bird-watching, whereupon he laughed and said: "What's the attraction in that? I've sparrows on the lawn, rooks in the wood behind our house and there's pigeons and ducks in the park! I don't want to spend my retirement feeding ducks or counting rooks."

"So what's the difference between a rook and a crow?" I put to him. "Or a wood pigeon and a collared dove? Or a mallard, teal or pochard?" "Search me!" was his response, and so I explained a little of the differences between some birds.

I added that half the fun in bird-watching is the identification of various species, with the added attraction of spotting something rare or unusual, or noting the behaviour of birds in particular circumstances.

I then mentioned the seasons, with all the challenges they can bring, adding that October is one of the best months for catching sight of a wide variety of birds because many of them are migrating. Some are leaving our shores while others are arriving, and even our own garden birds tend to change their habitats around this time of year.

"They're all just birds to me," he shrugged. "I can't really tell one from the other, except those I've just mentioned."

"What you need is a good reference book" was my recommendation. "You need one with lots of illustration in colour. Decide whether you want to leave the book in the house, or in the car or carry it in your pocket - there's plenty of choice. Then when you see a bird, try to identify it from the book. It follows that when you do see a bird, you must study it - look at its colour, shape and size, try to pick out any identifying features like its song, the shape of its tail, whether it is hawk-like in appearance, or whether it has a long or short beak and so on. Then you'll realise birds aren't just birds - they're all so very different."

"So what am I likely to see in October?" he asked and I could see that he was interested.

I explained how several birds will be leaving our shores around this time, swallows, housemartins and sandmartins being among them, the swifts would have left in August or early September, and I did suggest he checked the differences between all those birds! Another which departs our shores around this time is the wheatear, a beautiful bird of moorland and heathland. It arrives in April and remains here during the summer, rearing its young and sometimes spending time in our ploughed fields seeking food.

As many summer visitors have either left or are about to leave, so newcomers can be expected. I explained to my friend that some thrush-like birds will probably be arriving during this month and he would have to be quick-witted and rather observant to spot the differences, especially as our native song thrush and its cousin the mistle thrush will be resident here during the winter.

I told him how the mistle thrush had a habit of singing from the topmost branch of a tree during a storm, hence its alternative name of stormcock, and then I referred to redwings and fieldfares, both cousins of the thrush and both visitors from Scandinavia.

Each has the familiar speckled breast, and each assembles in large flocks, the redwing being identified by the patch of red on its flanks and beneath the wings, while the fieldfare has a grey head and grey rump.

"If I'm going to look for all those differences, I'll need binoculars, won't I?"

"They're not essential," I told him. "But they are a wonderful aid. Don't fall for the tale that you need some with massive magnification. You don't - they're difficult to handle because it's not easy to hold them steady. Go for a smaller pair, those with eight times magnification are about right, with a wide field of vision. A good retailer will advise you. And get yourself a notebook to record what you've seen and where - and you're in business."

"Maybe I should pass the word around the family," he smiled. "You've given me some nice ideas for Christmas presents!"

I told him how some bird watchers went to the coast at varying times of the day and night to try to see the mass of migrating birds which fly overhead, everything from flocks of geese to tiny goldcrests going about their particular spot of migration. And, with large numbers of migrants passing over our coastal areas, there's always the thrill of spotting something very rare, an osprey perhaps, or even a golden oriel or hoopoe.

"You know," he added, "I've never seen a golden eagle!" "

"Why not go looking for one?" I suggested.

"That'll be my first bird-watching expedition!" he laughed.

Unpalatable brew

During recent alterations to a house in Surrey, a complete, corked bottle was discovered beneath the threshold where it had apparently being buried. The finder, thinking he had discovered a rare and very old bottle of wine, arranged a tasting only to discover the contents were urine, human hair from various parts of the body, and metal pins!

This was a witch bottle. During the 16th and 17th centuries, they were commonplace in this region and their purpose was to ward off witches who might invade the house or bewitch the occupants. They were ordinary bottles, probably having served some other purpose, but it was the contents which were thought to keep witches at bay.

Generally, a witch bottle contained urine, samples of human hair from various parts of the body, nail cuttings and pins or other metal objects. They were buried either beneath the hearth or threshold, although some were thrown on the fire to be burnt.

Usually, the bottle was made from glass, although stoneware and even leather ones were not unknown. It was believed that these methods ensured the necessary protection from witches, and quite a number of the buried ones have managed to survive. From time to time, they are discovered, like the one in Sussex, and if you do find one on your premises, then most museums would be very interested.

The somewhat grisly contents each had a specific purpose. The presence of urine was supposed to make the witch unable to pass water and thus lead to her eventual death. Human nail cuttings and pieces of hair represented the most indestructible parts of the human body and when they were encased in a bottle, it was thought they presented any trespassing witch with an almost impossible challenge. Metal objects like pins were a reminder that metal was perhaps the best medium for deterring witches - mothers would knock nails into children's cots for this same reason and this may also have been the reason for hanging horseshoes upon houses and farm buildings.

Many country houses, farms and cottages did have witch bottles buried beneath the thresholds or hearths, but I am sure lots were destroyed during building alterations and improvements. I am also sure many will remain intact beneath country buildings.

Few modern folk will realise the true purpose of such a bottle, so if you do find one, please keep it intact and take it to a museum. Alternatively, you could keep it - it might still keep witches away!

Snow alert

From a weather point of view, October is rich with lore and sayings, one of which tells us that there are usually19 fair days this month, but several of the sayings refer to snow. It is thought that snow or heavy frosts in October herald a mild January, but if the first snow of the autumn falls on moist, soft earth, then we shall suffer a small harvest. If it falls on hard, frozen soil, however, then a good harvest is forecast. And "In October, dung your field."