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Mild So Far

It still feels like autumn rather than winter here but some of the garden plants seem to think that it is spring already. I am getting good custom for the sunflower seeds although the fat balls seem less popular than in previous years. I am putting off the day when I refill the starling feeder until I see more fat taken from the other feeder.

In the garden we are seeing the usual blue and great tits as well as the occasional coal tit although we haven't had any parties of long tailed tits for a while. Among the finches the goldfinches and chaffinches are regulars but the bullfinches haven't been seen for a while. Of the other birds that come to the feeder the nuthatch seems to have gone away with the long tailed tits while we haven't had any woodpeckers for a while. One bright spot is a blackcap which seems to have decided to over winter in the mild weather.

Down at ground level I have seen squirrels and mice on the feeding tray as well as birds. The wren hasn't been around for a while but wood pigeons, robins, dunnocks and blackbirds are all regulars.

On Boxing Day I walked down to Ley Hill Common and found that our entire local population of house sparrows seemed to have taken residence in a privet hedge near the school. Certainly none are coming to my garden.

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