TWITCHERS IN THE SNOW

Great was my private rejoicing when once again the snow began to fall yesterday evening. And through out the night. Once again I was wakeful and watched the swirling flakes silver the branches of the stately limes in the lane and by mid night there was a most satisfying depth covering the garden, the railings and the pathways.

Foxes busy searching for food and maintaining their territory patrolled all night and by morning an unbelievable amount of fox tracks decorated the otherwise virgin snow. Day light brought with it a larger than ever flock of Red wings eager for a feed of juicy ivy berries after the rigours of another freezing night, and our bird feeders were busy as soon as it was light.

Such quantities of birds require a good deal of food and we waste nothing that can be used to feed our flock. Baking our own bread as we do there are plenty of nutritious toast crumbs and any crusts and left over slices are made in to bread crumbs for the smaller birds such a Dunnocks. Dripping and any solid fat left over from cooking is mixed with cake of biscuit crumbs or a little oatmeal and once cold and solid goes into a feeding cage for the blue tits and robins.

Celebrating national bird week our local garden centre is selling bird boxes for half the normal price ans so our group is making the most of this chance and are buying twenty with some of the funds we raised last year.`most of the boxes will be located in our conservation area ,others will be given to our new members, and it is hopped that this will if successful considerably increase the number of fledglings during spring and summer.

Today saw the arrival of a species new to the area,there seems to be one in every bush and behind every tree, I even caught one climbing over the high orchard wall had he asked me I should have cheerfully let him in through the gate. I am of course referring to the “Much Spotted Twitcher” car loads of whom have descended upon us since yesterday. Normally I would be the last one to prevent anyone from enjoying wildlife but some f these types are a menace and are nothing better than train spotters. For most of the day they have loitered about in the lane, trespassed on peoples gardens and one rat her large lady actually fell through the roof of a shed on to which she had climbed to gain a better view.

The shed's owner refused to let her out until she had agreed to compensate him for the damage and he actually got it in writing too! Most are in fact lovely people ,it is the few fanatics who let the side down by their irresponsible behaviour. Many kinds of water bird not often seen in these parts have been sighted on the river in in the tide meadow which explains the influx of twitchers.

Frost and fog are to follow the snow we are told which means that we shall keep our winter visitors for some time to come, both the feathered and the green wellied varieties. Ho hum!