Sunday 19th. December 2010

Not having got out yesterday , I set off this morning , to check all the berry bearing trees around the estate , and the adjacent bridleway . About 3''-4'' of snow was on the ground , but being fresh , walking was much easier , and although there was no wind , it was bitterly cold .
My hopes of finding flocks of Winter Thrushes or Waxwings were soon dashed , with just one Fieldfare on a roadside Rowan and a couple of Redwings on a Holly in a front garden , were about the only interest . A small flock of 5 Fieldfares flew over high , but continued on their way .
I arrived home after a couple of hours , and after a hot cup of coffee , Carol and I walked to the local shops for some essentials , and for some fresh air for Carol . On the way back , another Fieldfare was found in a roadside Hawthorn .
No one said anything about snow on the forecast for today , but whilst we were out , persistent light snow started to fall , and it continued over lunch , and throughout the afternoon , stopping just before dark . I spent the afternoon in the back bedroom , with constant scans from the window , and camera ready . All taken in bad light conditions and through double glazing , some of the species seen were ,
The Song Thrush , just as it noticed me , and made a quick departure ,
one of two Greenfinches that came to the feeders , this one suffering from 'scaly leg' ,

one of several Starlings that visited , our resident Robin ,one of a pair of Dunnocks that dispute the ownership of the garden with the Robin . A large flock of Chaffinches descended every time food was put out , but no sign of a Brambling or Redpoll . Collared Doves and Woodpigeons also arrived in numbers . Blue Tits , Jackdaws , a Wren and Goldfinches , completed the list of diners .

I thought that that was it for the day , when Carol called me down for a cup of tea , and spotted a movement in the Lime Tree in the road , outside our house . That movement turned out to be a Treecreeper , that had me dashing upstairs for the camera . Needless to say , by the time I came back down with it , the bird had gone . Regardless , I went out into the road looking for it , and after a few minutes , found it two trees up the road on the other side . It worked it's way up that tree , then flew to the next , and began searching for food again . I followed it further up the road , moving from tree to tree , until , with daylight fading quickly , it came to rest on the South facing side of another Lime , and remained motionless . I waited for several minutes in the growing gloom , and the bird still remained motionless . I can only assume that it had decided that this was where it was going to roost for the night , and I left it , hoping that it would survive another sub zero night .