IS THE MILD WINTER JUST EARLY SPRING?

Another week of storms has left many parts of the country looking like large inland lagoons rather than farmland or countryside.

While my garden and the part of the country in which it resides has not been that badly affected, there are plenty of very soggy fields and gardens.

Just one small rain shower leaves puddles on roads, paths and fields that last for hours, if not longer, so longer spells of rain leave small floods and large areas of the countryside and my garden with several inches of surface water.

The continuous stormy weather has meant winter has been very mild and now plenty of plants, bulbs and trees think it’s spring.

In my garden there are plenty of bulbs sprouting, while one of the small fruit trees is already showing buds.

The mild winter also means the snowdrops are not the first to emerge out of my bulbs.

How the wildlife is coping with this stormy winter is difficult to evaluate as the breeding season for most wildlife is yet to start. Seals have already been badly affected by the early winter storms during their breeding season and losing many pups.

I’m yet to see any birds making use of the nestbox roost, although given that spring appears to be starting, according to the signs nature is flora is giving, it may not be long before the battle to occupy the nestboxes in my garden starts.

By next weekend I’ll hopefully have two nestbox cameras working so here’s hoping the birds use those nestboxes!