Monday 2nd.February 2009

Needless to say , I didn't get out today , so concentrated on the birds in the garden . First job was to clear 8/9 inches ( 20/25 cms. in new money ) of snow off the back path , put down a good quantity of food and refresh the water bowls .

Whilst doing so , I could hear Fieldfares and Redwings calling from surrounding gardens , and the sky seemed to be alive with birds , probably looking for somewhere that wasn't white . By the time I got inside and up to the back bedroom window , thew mixed Finch flock had already decended onto the food on the path and in the feeders . The Chaffinch numbers were well up on previous days , but fewer Goldfinches and just the odd one or two Greenfinches . Whilst watching them , I spotted a female Brambling settle in the Laburnum tree next door , then warily fly down to the path . With that , the children next door , the school being closed came screaming into the back garden to play in the snow , and everything disappeared , including the Brambling .After a while , and the children's hands having got cold , the Finches returned , but no sign of the female Brambling .

The 'chak-chak' of the Fieldfares seemed to be closer now and with binoculars , I found them with 2 Redwings , finishing off the last few berries , almost at ground level , on the Cotoneaster shrub in the other neighbour's garden . No sooner had they finished them , then their children came out to play in the snow , once again dispersing everything from the path .

During the morning , most of the usual visitors turned up , Collared Dove , Feral Pigeon ,

Woodpigeon , Dunnock , Blackbird - both native and foreign , Robin and a first for a long time ,

two Song Thrushes in the garden at the same time . Another unusual garden visitor was Pied Wagtail , unusual in the garden , but not unusual in the road out front . The Corvids were represented by Magpie , Carrion Crow and Jackdaw and at lunchtime , I counted 70+ Jackdaw in two Lime trees along the road .

Both male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker made several visits , as did a pair of Blue Tits . Starlings , in varying numbers also made regular visits to both feeders and path . Overhead , both Black Headed and Common Gulls were circling , looking for food . Unusually , only one Rose Ringed Parakeet was seen today , and that was unusually quiet .

Just before lunch , I went back to the window hoping that the female Brambling would reappear , she didn't , but there on the path with a couple of Chaffinches was a male . I grabbed the camera and prayed that the children had had enough of snowballs , and managed to get a couple of shots .

This afternoon , the numbers have been down , and no more views of either Brambling , still 22 species on a snowy Winter's day will do for me .