WINTER WARMTH PROVES BLOOMING ENTICING

The winter storms are continuing and causing chaos for people and wildlife across the country. The ground in the garden is soggy, while the stream that runs passed the house is often full to bursting – luckily it would take an apocalyptic level of rainfall for it to come anywhere near the garden.

Fields around the house are always flooded sometime covering up to 80/90 per cent of the area. It does make me wonder what’s happening to the crops that have already been sown or the grass that is waiting to make an appearance for spring.

Despite the threat of a proper winter cold spell last week, it continues to be very mild and this is being shown in the emergence of spring bulbs, including the crocus, tulip, daffodil and snowdrop.

Remarkable the first one to flower was the crocus, which shows just how mild it must be for it to flower before the snowdrop.

I’ve not noticed any birds taking shelter in the camera nestbox, although the new camera will be in place by next weekend so hopefully that will show if the triple sparrow nestbox is being used as a roost.

The size of the flocks of birds coming to the garden feeders is fairly steady, with daily sightings of all the usual suspects for my area – blackbird, robin, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, house sparrow, tree sparrow and dunnock.

I rarely see chaffinches, goldfinches, magpies, jays and wrens, but I know they’re around. Plus flocks of starlings and redwings are often seen flying at low level over the garden.

My main task this week has been to remove and uproot to trees to make more light for the canopy floor, encouraging wild flowers and creating areas for vegetables to be grown.

It was hard work and my hands, shoulders and arms are feeling it now. So until next week enjoy the pictures of what’s been happening in the last week.