GARDEN BLOG- LATE AUTUMN/WINTER 2021
After several months a serious back issue has now improved and I am able to get back to making nature notes.
I imagine that a glut of natural food was the reason that ripened berries remained in our garden far later than usual. A few Rowan, Viburnum, Holly and Pyracanthas berries were still available up until Christmas.
Although they did not visit our garden (fortunately for the Bank Voles and Long Tailed Field Mice), we could hear a pair of Tawny Owls occasionally calling in the park adjacent to our house. We were lucky to have a Redwing visit the garden in December and a recent frosty spell produced Siskin on the feeders.
There is a large number of Bank Voles and a Long Tailed Field mouse living behind our dry stone wall although, judging by the number of visits made by the Sparrowhawks recently, I expect these numbers to dwindle.
Ladybirds, Honey and Bumble bees have recently appeared in the garden along with the snowdrops, spring flowers and some much welcome sunshine.
Birds seen in the garden this quarter include:
Blackbird, Blackcap (M & F), Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Feral and white Pigeon, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, House Sparrow,Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Redwing, Robin, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Sparrowhawk (M & F), Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Wren.
Birds flying over the garden or in the park: Buzzard, Red Kite, Little Egret, Grey Heron.
