Snow on snow...

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter...

This January!  :-(

(With thanks to Christina Rosetti)

Snow on snow... "They" (the weather forecasters) said there wouldn't be any more snow for Milton Keynes last night, or today, but, to mis-quote from the lyrics of Jeff Wayne's classic album "War of the Worlds"... "But still it comes!"

Both front and back gardens are full of wild birds all trying to get something to eat and stay warm with a high calorie intake.  We've put out an assortment of foodstuffs, onto the bird tables, in hanging feeders, on trays lodged in the branches of our tree, and scattered liberally on the ground.  Peanuts for Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, and the odd Grey Squirrel (though it's a pest the way it buries some nuts in our garden flower tubs!). Sunflower hearts in hanging feeders for well over a dozen Goldfinches now coming in. Wild bird seed scattered around for 2x pairs of Chaffinches and 2x Dunnocks, and dried mealworms  for our "resident" Pied Wagtail, 3 Robins (who squabble over who has the 'rights' to the garden!); and, since the snowfall, 3 male and 3 female blackbirds, which haven't been seen since springtime!!

Keeping a fresh bowl of water unfrozen has been a hard task, but I solved it by buying a coconut, sawing it in half, scraping out the coconut (the Blue Tits and Great Tits have loved that!), and using the halves as water bowls... Easier to bring indoors and thaw out each morning, than the bird baths!

I know it's winter, and we should expect snow... but both I and the wild garden birds will be *very* pleased when it's all gone!

RIP "Waggy" the Pied Wagtail

It was a very sad morning for my Ann.
She was in our lounge when she heard "squeeking" noises from the garden; and she looked up just as "our" Pied Wagtail - who we've had, and fed, since last Spring - flew up from the ground, into the lounge window with a bang...  As it fell back to the ground the reason for the "squeeking" and it's frightened flight into the window became clear in the next second...

Our local Sparrowhawk had got the Wagtail...

She, (we know it was a female, as they have slate-grey backs, whereas males have a black back), has been my constant companion for well over 9 months, getting more and more confident of coming down when I'm still out putting down the various bird food we feed.  But now she is no more...

As I said to Ann when she brought me the sad news, "You're actually very fortunate to have seen it. (a) We now know why we'll not see "Waggy" again, and (b) you've seen the Sparrowhawk get fed from our "bird feeding stations", cos  after all, Sparrowhawks don't eat mealworms, nuts, seed, coconut or fat scraps.  For the Sparrowhawk the bird table provides... birds... ..." 

But, nonetheless, RIP "Waggy"...  I *will* miss you're friendly twitter.