There’s plenty of severe weather around at the moment,
although the garden is mainly being affected by strong winds.
Snow is always an unlikely feature in the garden, but strong
and bitterly cold winter winds often whistle through.
With a north-facing garden, a prevailing westerly wind and
open farmland to the west of the garden, it often bears the brunt of any
Atlantic winter storm.
The smaller birds do have shelter within some parts of the
garden, particularly the evergreen hedge and growing ivy, but it’s not ideal.
However, the food put out is gratefully received and quickly
consumed in winter’s colder weather.
The apples have been generally eaten by a solitary make
blackbird, with the odd small black slug taking advantage.
The blue tits, great tits, robins and house sparrows have been seen regularly
recently on the peanut feeder, often reducing it by half in a day. The robin is often in song, seemingly protecting his territory.
They seem to ignore the fat feeders, although the local
skulking cats might be playing a part in that.
The fat feeders are in a heavily fortified area, slightly
away from a hedge and in a very spiky pyracantha bush – my hands get ripped when
I put a new snack in.
Visits from a flock of long tailed tits is still irregular,
although this might be more down to the fact most of the time I see the garden
in darkness at this time of year.
Still, there’s the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch to do in
little over a week, so perhaps that might mean I see more of them.
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