The nest building of the house sparrows has stopped (see first three images below),
although overnight roosting has continued with the female bird (see final image below).
A pair of tree sparrows are still showing great interest in the sparrow
nest box ‘complex’, but not in the section with a camera in.
In the last couple of days I have seen the pair of robins, whose
territory includes the garden, flirting with each other and driving off
intruders.
A pair of great tits have also been showing signs of flirtation but,
like the robins, it doesn’t last long as the search for food to keep them alive
during the harsh overnight frosts takes their attention.
Recently a grey squirrel has been frequenting the garden. This is
unusual because although they seem to live about ½ a mile away, visits to the
garden have been very rare.
The prolonged cold weather must be driving them further in search of
food.
With the ground rock hard, the single winter rose and snowdrop are
unlikely to be joined by any of the numerous bulbs that had pierced the surface
of the soil a couple of weeks ago.
The branches of the fruit tree in the garden are covered in the first
shoots of spring buds, but I don’t expect there to be any further movement in
the next week or so.
That’s because the forecast appears to show this cold weather staying
for a while, so postponing the recent eagerness of the wildlife in and around
the garden to prepare for spring.
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