Saturday 16th January - Freezing at last !

A bit more like proper Winter weather, with a hard frost and a bit of sun in the day. My big problem at the moment seems to be in the category of early weekend motivation. Working all week in London when I leave and arrive at the office in the dark and leave and arrive at home in the dark, means I'm knackered and need a sleep-in on Saturday morning. I keep saying 'tomorrow will be the start of my birding year when I go out for a full day from first to last light.' ......mmmm.. well it just doesn't seem to be happening. Luckily living in the country, all is not completely lost as the garden seems busy with avian activity.

I've tried to keep the feeders topped up enough so the birds are still around at the weekend, and pretty much they were although perhaps not the same numbers as seen last week, but still at least 2 Brambling, Lesser Redpoll, 4 Siskin, 10 Chaffinch, 10 Goldfinch , 6 Greenfinch. Song Thrush, several Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Wren and the usual Jackdaw, Magpie, Pheasant . Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit and Blue Tit, and a Tawny Owl was just visible in the depths of the Gully given away by a commotion by the smaller birds, but as yet not a single raptor from the house this year,

I did decide on a walk this afternoon from the house about 2pm. Even though there was a fair bit of ice around it was exceptionally muddy due to all the recent rain. Not surprisingly at this time of year birds were a little thin on the ground, probably evacuating the woods where there is limited food and heading for the villages.

The exception were 8 Bullfinch with 6 smart males, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel a few Redwing, 2 Goldcrest and on the Furnace pond 6 Mallard and 4 Mandarin. It was cold but bright and not unpleasant to be out.

Fields get boggy as they slope away

The Sheep have spent the last few weeks in the stable as the ground is too wet for them

Looking back to the house from the end field

Late afternoon in the back lane.

The Furnace pond partly frozen - Ducks were under trees at the back.

Brambling

Song Thrush - This time of year very vocal and quite visible.

Saturday 9th January - belated Happy New Year !

The year turned and the weather stayed the same, very grey, very wet, very windy and a few degrees colder. Many brave soles would have been out birding to get new year lists underway, but last weekend the weather was so foul I didn't venture out on my nominated day on Saturday as I had no great desire to get soaked and try and find birds through rain-sodden optics... maybe its an age thing !!!!

However all was not lost and the garden was pretty active last Friday to Sunday, although any pictures were through the grubby kitchen window. The list is as follows the numbers reflect the highest count of a species seen at any one time. 29 species in total and no raptors yet.

Siskin 4
Lesser Redpoll 5
Greenfinch 8
Chaffinch 26
Brambling 3 (2 males)
Goldfinch 15
Blackbird 4
Song Thrush 1
Redwing 8
Fieldfare 9
Robin 3
Dunnock 3
Wren 1
Pheasant 6
Raven 1
Jackdaw  8
Rook 3
Carrion Crow 1
Magpie 1
Woodpigeon 12
Stock Dove 6
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 4
Coal Tit 1
Marsh Tit 1
Long tailed Tit 7
Great spotted Woodpecker 1
Nuthatch 1
Mallard 1

In addition Adie has a Wildlife Cam for an xmas present and a Badger has been well filmed on this.
During the week a Tawny Owl has been calling away on calm nights and a Fox was barking all night on Thursday. The fields are now so wet the Sheep have been put in the stables to dry out their feet.

I think whatever happens with the weather tomorrow I need to venture out !

male Brambling has remained in the garden with a couple of friends

male Siskin