Garden Watch

I ended up being struck down with a flu type bug over the past week, the upside being I was able to spend a lot of time garden watching. It coincided with the icy blast of snow over the weekend too and to be honest I was glad I didn't have any plans!

I did make sure the feeders where kept topped up, I think it was one of the busiest bird weeks in the garden so far this year.

First up the Squirrels made the most of the peanuts, if I make sure there are always a few in the seed tray then they don't chew the feeders.

We keep getting a mouse in the window feeder and on Sunday after the heaviest of the snow I spotted one peeking out of a hole in the snow alongside the shed.

On an evening we are still getting the odd fox at the feeders but on Saturday night I saw one that looked a little tatty, part of the fur on it's tail was missing but that was all I could tell in the dark. Sunday morning though about 11.30 it appeared in the garden again and went straight for the feeder and it didn't look in the best of condition. I believe it has mange, I have tried to contact someone about it so we'll see what they suggest as it has been in the garden since.

The Woodpigeons and Collared Doves were making the odd attempt at flirting though one of the Woodpigeons seemed to be cooing at a Blackbird at one point.

In the front garden the House Sparrows take over the feeders hanging by the door and spend all their time flying backwards and forwards in front of the window.

A Wren hops all around both gardens and there's been a Goldcrest too, though their numbers are down compared to last year. Starlings come in fits and starts, usually clearing out the food tray and squabbling with any bird around.

Blackbirds are still the first birds in the garden each morning and often the last around as it gets dark too. A couple of times Dunnocks have been on the feeder but mostly they sit at the top of the Laburnum singing.

Long-tailed, Blue, Coal and Great Tits are all regular visitors during the day, the number of Coal Tits has gone from one to two and the flocks of Long-tailed have numbered up to 9.

There has also been an increase in Goldfinch numbers, usually we get a couple sometimes four, we've had up to 12 the past week or so and they are around most of the day.

The heavy snow overnight Saturday brought the Mistle Thrush into the garden again, it came barreling in just after 7am scaring off the other birds briefly, again it hung around most of the day.

Thanks to the snow we also had a flock of Fieldfares around, with three of them landing in the Laburnum and around another 10 or so landing in the trees at the back of the gardens. Mostly they sat in the trees for half an hour motionless before something spooked all the birds and everything flew off!

Finally who can resist a Robin in the snow.........

A Snow Day........and another......and another.........

The so called 'Beast from the east' hit us on overnight Tuesday and caused one or two problems to say the least.

We had snow by Wednesday morning and I walked to work in a blizzard, managing to spot a flock of around 35 Lapwing's flying overhead - a new patch tick. A small flock of Redwings were hiding under a bush in the park, they were actually 'chirping' the sound drawing me off my usual path, they were hopping in and out of the bush before a passer by spooked them, I only managed a quick photo but they looked beautiful against the snow.

Redwing

Crocus  

No stay at home snow day for me though this week - that's what happens when you live in walking distance to work! Each morning i've been out at dawn clearing snow off the feeders and topping them up, with the Blackbirds and Robins waiting in the trees. I cleared and defrosted the bird bath too, though it didn't stay unfrozen for long.

Thursday morning brought a lot more snow and a Mistle Thrush appeared in the garden, muscling the Blackbird and Robin off the feed tray. The first one in years. My husband and daughter were home so I asked them to be on Thrush watch and to try and keep the bird bath defrosted. My husband sent me a picture of a Fieldfare that had been at the feeder - a garden first and I missed it. I saw many many photos of Fieldfare in people's gardens the past few days, a joy to see but not great they were finding it so difficult to eat.

Mistle Thrush

The Blackbird sunk a little!

Mistle Thrush

House Sparrows 

My husbands photo

I can't quite remember the last time I saw icicles like this.

Early this morning I cleaned up the feeders, stocked everything up and put out a few apples, hoping maybe there'd be some Fieldfares still around. The Mistle Thrush was hanging around the garden all day long, a 2nd one joined it briefly. All day long the feeders have been busy with the usual birds - Woodpigeon, Collared Doves, Starlings, Robins, Blackbirds, Great, Blue, Coal, Long-tailed Tits, a Wren, Sparrows, Dunnock and Goldfinch. It was nice just to be able to sit and watch all the activity.

Collared Dove

Mistle Thrush 

Robin 

Goldfinch 

House Sparrow

Blue Tit

Dunnock 

Mid morning I saw a flock of 10 Fieldfare fly over and then hang around in the distant trees by the edge of the park. But they didn't stop in the garden until the very end of the day as it was starting to get dark and a single one landed in the Laburnum for a couple of minutes.

A long post but snow like this is not something that happens here very often these days (global warming..........) so it's big news. Rain is forecast for tomorrow so that could bring an end to the snow (and also brings the end of this post).