1st - 14th February - Then I Am Spinning and I'm Diving

The start of the month saw the temperatures a little below average but with plenty of rain and grey skies.  The second week of the period though saw the temperature plummet and we had snow flurries that produced a dusting of snow for three days, but more significantly the ground was frozen solid and the wind coming from the north through to the east was strong and bitingly cold. 

In the garden the male Blackcap continued to visit the feeders through out the period, I would have thought that there may have been more as in previous years but he does seem to be the only one about.

Through the first week things were relatively quiet.  On the the 2nd February I heard calling Tawny Owls for the first time this year and for a while since early December.  A walk along Alton Lane on the same day saw around 200 Rooks feeding in the adjacent fields and activity around the old nests in the rookery.

Rooks were also seen around the garden in the second week when the snow came and the temperatures fell.  Despite the amount of food available they never come into the garden but will gather on the surrounding roofs.

The 5th saw three Red Kites circling over the house, the first time there has been more than two birds present for some months now.

In the first week we had another bird come to take the meal worms, a Coal Tit, this makes it now eight birds that are happy to feed from the dishes around the garden, these are, the Blackbird and Robins, of course, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, the Wren, Dunnock and surprisingly Woodpigeon.

With the cold weather there was a major change in the garden.  Suddenly we were inundated with Blackbirds, at one stage I counted 12 birds in the garden and they would fight.  The resident birds though seemed to keep well away, I would only see the tame male and female at dawn when I first went out and maybe last thing in the evening.  Our male Blackbird would come to the back door and was even prepared to come into the kitchen to escape the attention of the other Blackbirds

The Robins did not seem that phased and would come to the back door too, Donald being quite happy to actually come into the house once more.  There was one amusing incident where he was being fed on the mat and one of the other Robins came close and started the aggressive song.  Donald turned to face the other Robin, using the threshold of the back door to gain height over the other who was on the patio, a door and step below.  Donald then stuck his head up and waved his red breast at the other as if to say, this is my house back off.

The other character through the cold snap was the Wren.  It completely lost its inhibitions and would come within a couple of feet from me, happy to do so when either the Robins or the tame Blackbird was present.  Later in the week it would come to the dish close to the house, the one that the other birds other than the Robins would not use.

I had to marvel at the physiology of this little bird, temperatures were as low as minus six degrees centigrade but it managed to survive the early part of the cold spell, but then he went missing.  We didn't see the Wren on Friday and no sign over the weekend despite the conditions warming slightly.  Had the little bird succumbed?  Rather than leave the answer until the next post I can say it turned up on Monday, straight to the dish so all was well.

We think the shear number of larger birds was just too much to negotiate so it went somewhere else, or just avoided the meal worms.

I have a rather love - hate relationship with Starlings.  I love the winter murmurations, but they do completely take over in the garden, their aggression and gang approach enabling them to muscle in and move larger birds away and they will devour the dish in seconds as opposed to the blackbird's more refined eating habits.

During the cold weather the Starlings would monopolise the fat feeders and once the bird bath was freed of ice they would be the first into the water splashing everywhere as up to three would bathe at any time.  They would normally bathe around the middle of the afternoon and then take to the highest point of the trees to take in the afternoon sun and preen and finish their ablutions.  This provided some wonderful photo opportunities and the chance to admire their beautiful plumage.

Petrol colours of green and blue glint and change as the bird moves and the sunlight catches the feathers

Some work required to make sure the feathers are in tip top condition to enable them to keep warm through the cold of the night

White arrow head dashes standout on the dark feathers

Here some work on the tail feathers.

Many think of the Starling as just a blackbird, up close they are a mixture of colours, the petrol colours of the main feathers, these then fringed with brown to produce a beautiful combination

All set now to spend the night in my roof!

Love them or hate then you can't deny they are a beautiful bird beyond their aerobatic skills.

With the Starlings gone, a male Hose Sparrow took advantage of the late afternoon sunshine.

The cold snap was due to end on Sunday the 14th, it was though still very cold with the rain making it feel even more colder than the height of the low temperatures, it must be the damp conditions.  The second half of the month is due to be a lot milder, maybe even dabbling with Spring conditions.  Will this produce the first Lesser Celandines of the year?  Maybe even a Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell butterfly?  We shall just have to wait and see.