A COLD BLAST OF WINTER SHOCKS THE WILDLIFE

I’m sure the swallows are having second thoughts about coming back from a warm Africa, particularly given the cold, snowy and icy week of weather we’ve had.

The regular hailstone storms and overnight frosts have meant a battering for the flora, with at least two tulips having all their petals ripped away and left in tatters on the garden lawn.

The swallows have been witnessed gathering mud for nest building, and while the weather has helped create plenty of mud creating facilities, it’s not been helpful for the purposes of the a nest – rearing young.

Of course an update on this blog wouldn’t be complete without a comment about the cats coming into the garden.

The first, and only, lot of seeds have been planted this year, mainly indoor, but with a few directly outdoors. Poppies and parsnips have been planted outside, but the soil in which they have been planted has once again been desecrated by cats using it as a toilet.

If anyone has ideas on making these cats leave the garden alone and finding alternative toilets, please let me know.

Inside, the seeds of sunflowers, tomatoes, cauliflowers, chillies and broad beans have been planted. The cauliflowers are already showing a couple of green shoots, while the sunflowers are emerging in their pots too.

Of course the seedlings will stay indoors until the weather gets warmer, and they are a lot bigger.

Finally, the great tits have almost completed the nest, but the camera is playing up again so visual images of the inside of the nest box are still not available.

IS WINTER GOING TO TURN UP?

Unseasonal, mild and temperate are just some of the words that could be used to describe the weather so far this winter.

Whatever word or words are used it won't make any difference to how the wildlife, flora and fauna, is sensing the conditions.

With daffodils and tulips showing themselves and some tress starting to blossom, it’s surely not going to be long until birds start building nests, which for nearly all will inevitably be a disaster.

Cold weather is surely going to come sooner or later and that means the wildlife will be in for a big shock.

Currently it means that the likelihood of seeing traditional winter visitors (fieldfare and redwing along with the local long tailed tit families) is virtually nil while this mild weather persists.

It also means the traditional pattern of the natural world will be out of sync.

The garden lawn will have to be cut again in January, which means it could be cut in every month of the year if the same is required in February.

The big question as we head in to another year is will the cold weather arrive before nature is in full on spring mode?

SECOND BROODS FOR BOTH SPARROW FAMILIES

Both house sparrow families are taking this year’s brooding competition very seriously, as they look to fledge their second broods of the season.

The family in the blue tit nest box are a few days behind their opponents in the sparrow nest box, but they could catch up if the next set of eggs (yes I’m expecting more), are laid as soon as this brood fledges.

And when these two broods do fledge, they’ll find the garden has a new wild animal pottering around the plants and over the lawn.

Yes, the garden is now home to a ‘re-homed’ rescue hedgehog. Max, is a 2-year-old male, who has been ‘called’ Spikey by my daughters, although he’s not been seen since he was set free last week.

 

I’ve been feeding him small amounts of cat food at night, although whether he is eating it or the local cats are taking it, is something I’ve not been able to find out.

He is a big male and I hope he sticks around to provide another layer of the natural circle of life in the garden.

The escallonia and pyracantha are full of flowers and attracting hundreds of bees (honey and bumble) every day, while a red ladybird poppy plant has already produced eight brightly coloured flowers to light up another area of the garden.

There are numerous sunflowers now planted outside, along with broad beans and tomato plants.

And with the summer sun making its presence known, I’m hoping they will all grow big and strong, while Max (Spikey) takes care of those pesky slugs and snails.