Skip to main content

First Snow

We had the first snow of the winter this morning. Just a light dusting although judging by the traffic reports from Hertfordshire my part of the Chilterns got off lightly. It didn't encourage anything special to the garden however. The peanuts were going mouldy in the feeder and I  replaced them with a new feeder containing sunflower hearts about a week ago with no effect. All I have seen have been the regular blackbirds and robins on the starling feeder.

I took a walk across the fields between Botley and Lye Green Road yesterday. That area is quite suprisingly flat considering the hilltop location. I could have imagined myself on coastal marshes rather than the Chilterns but the only excitement from a birding point of view was a brief glimpse of a sparrowhawk. Because of a broken strap the bins were in their case and the bird was long gone by the time I had them out.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Choice

Taking my usual walk today it was striking how the autumn colours had come on in the last few days. When the sun came out I really regretted not having the camera with me. There wasn't much to see in the way of variety or numbers of birds. A couple of probable skylarks put up on a cultivated field but the gem was naturally a red kite. Circling over the fields behind my house at tree top height it finally came over my head as I reached the edge of the field. Living where I do I suppose that I should be blasé about them by now but when one comes overhead there is no choice. I still just stop and say "wow!"
Post a Comment
Read more

Harvest

The arable fields between Ley Hill and Latimer have been harvested over the last couple of days. This morning I saw a group of yellowhammers in the middle of the road by a field gate. From the look of things they were eating spilled grain. Instead of flying into the hedgerow they flew away from me along the road at windscreen height. I haven't seen much else recently apart from a distant glimpse of a partridge and the occasional red kite.
Post a Comment
Read more

Not So Quiet

 During September and October the garden normally seems to be devoid of birds. For the last few days there has been a flock of tits on the feeder. At least 5 blues at a time plus two or three long tailed as well as the occasional great and coal. This only takes place later in the afternoon, usually at around 5.
Post a Comment
Read more