Saturday 31 December 2011

WARM DECEMBER

December has been completely different to last year and sometimes during the month it resembled spring; so much so that some of the plants in the garden started producing flowers and a few tress around the house actually showed a few buds.

The odd cooler spell ensured these quickly stopped, but unless cold weather comes soon they'll start up again.

The forecast suggests colder weather is on the way, but will it be cold enough to make sure nature will refresh life.

I'm continuing to feed the birds, but I've still not seen many of the usual winter visitors to the offerings. Long tailed tits, chaffinches, wrens, great spotter woodpecker and jay are just a few of the winter sites I've become fond of seeing.

Instead it's the robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks and sparrows (tree and house) that are feasting on the peanuts, seeds and fat balls.

This year started off with a very cold January and lots of snow, had a mild spring, a wet summer, a windy autumn and finished with a mild start to winter.

The great tits occupied the main nestbox (with camera) and raised a brood of eight chicks, all who fledged. How many have survived until now is anyone's guess - probably about three or four.

I've been keeping an eye on the nextbox through the camera and have not seen any activity - last winter various birds roosted there but I expect to see some if the really cold weather comes upon us.

Finally this year will be the last for the pond, as it makes way for a more child-friendly boggy area. Still it's another area of the garden that is wildlife friendly and I'll start work on that in a few weeks.