4th - 11th April - Winter Strikes Back!

So from the summer temperatures of the end of March to snow flurries and bitingly cold winds over Easter and into April.  The evening of the 6th saw prolonged snow falling and on the morning of the 7th we woke to a good dusting of snow and quite a hard frost.  Needless to say the birds were knocking on the back door as I came down to make some tea.

I had the week off so it was much easier to plan the walks and with Helen popping into the school i took off to explore the winter scenes around the village and also to try and find some of the local specialties.

First stop was along Brislands, this time last year there had been a singing Firecrest present.  They are either not very vocal through the winter or return to breed in the area, so far this year I haven't managed to find one.  It seemed this was going to continue as all I could find in the spot was a pair of Goldcrests that showed very well.

Unlike their cousins the Goldcrests have been vocal through out the winter, giving their presence away by either their contact calls or bursts of song

Leaving the Goldcrests I set off for the wood, but stopped as a small bird flew across the path.  I thought at first it might be a Chiffchaff, but when I finally got on to it I realised it was the bird I had been wanting to find, a Firecrest.

I then had the bizarre situation where i was photographing a Firecrest with snow on the fence and post, maybe a contender for the Christmas Cards this year.

It then moved to a bush with some emerging blossom to provide a more appropriate scene for the time of year.

So they are back which was very pleasing.  Hopefully we will have as many as last year when I found ten singing individuals, hopefully more though, this little bird is now doing very well in Hampshire.

A little further along that other photogenic bird at this time of year, the Nuthatch, showed well with some classic poses.

As the lane opens up to the fields, it was to a really wintry scene looking west towards the Old Down Wood.

On entering the wood as well it was quite wintry.

I walked around to check the Tawny Owl.  It was there looking at me as I watched it.

I walked through to the main path leading to the Old Down entrance.  The flurries of snow still gathered on the bracken following the overnight frost.

The Long-tailed Tit nest was still there but there were some worrying signs of moss and lichen hanging from the bottom which might mean it has been attacked, we shall have to wait and see.

At the west end there was the bizarre scene of Bluebells surrounded by snow.

I could hear Stock Dove calling and managed to locate on e of the owners high in a beech tree.

Walking down through the Desmond Paddocks the cloud was gathering away to the east over the top of Old Down Wood.

From the paddocks I crossed and walked up Andrews Lane.  About eight years ago I had found a smart male Ring Ouzel in the horse paddocks and always hoped to repeat, today though wasn't going to be the day, instead there were five Meadow Pipits.

At the top of the lane a Yellowhammer was singing from the top of the trees along the footpath.

Hoping once again for Wheatear I walked around to Lye Way.  All the birds I could find were two Pied Wagtails, but there were plenty of these.

Walking back to Lye Way Road the fields look like they had been recently seeded and this attracted many Woodpigeon and six Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

A scan through the Woodpigeon revealed a couple of Stock Dove too.

Along the road a couple of Yellowhammer were singing from the hedge.  The bright yellow of the males contrasts so well with the green of the fields in the background.

As I watched the Yellowhammer a single Raven flew announcing itself with the familiar "gronk" as it went flew over.

In the filed were a male and four Pheasants, two Red-legged Partridges and these two Brown Hares.

Back home in the garden things are getting a little more frenzied although without the male Blackbird feeding young it isn't maybe so pressured.  All three Robins appear to have young and Donald is venturing into the kitchen.  The Wren too has become so much braver and watches the Robins.  It has come close to the house and is very adept at nipping in to take a worm before a Robin.

One unusual observation was when the tame Robin waited on the patio chair, the wren was next to it.  The Robin flew up, took the worm and returned to the chair.  The Wren immediately begged with open mouth and the Robin fed the Wren the worm.  I also think that the Wren caches the worms, as it is taking a lot more than it was in the winter and goes to different parts of the garden with the worms.

A new visitor is a Song Thrush, not a common visitor to the garden this one seems to like the bird bath and also checked the worm dishes.  Lovely to see one in the garden, once upon a time they were considered a common garden bird.

The weather is considered to continue cold for the coming days, hopefully we will see some more typical spring weather soon.