On 13/02/2012 16:07, stuart noble wrote:
On 13/02/2012 13:53, Spider wrote:
On 13/02/2012 12:19, Jake wrote:
The female blackbirds are getting very aggressive towards each other
and to other birds, the annual pond orgy has started (the frogs won't
stay still long enough to be counted but there's well over a dozen
hard at it today), some of the camellia buds have opened, and I've
found my first hedgehog droppings. And clearly a thrush has found its
first snail. Oh, and the flamin' starlings have gone back home which
cuts the seed consumption by half just in time to avoid the bank loan!

Now if only the fuchsias would get round to dropping last year's
leaves and the birds would get round to gobbling up the last hundred
or so crab apples to clear the way for this year's buds I might be
able to get everything in synch.

So that's winter done for this year I suppose. I wonder if we'll have
a cold spring?

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay where
the four seasons are salt,pepper,mustard and vinegar.


Our blackbirds are having to make way for redwings here. Fortunately, we
still have plenty of berries. Our pond is frozen solid, so I've not even
looked for frog activity yet. Certainly not seen a hedgehog, but we have
a very handsome fox who visits regularly for scraps.

We're promised rain for later in the week and it can't come soon enough
as far as I'm concerned. Frost drought has caused many plants to droop
or collapse entirely. A good natural watering is just what they need.
The only good thing about this icy weather is that squirrels can't dig
up my bulbs ... but neither can I plant the ones I failed to plant in
late autumn:~(.

I very much doubt we've seen the last of winter but, when we have, I'd
like a sensible spring with temps that don't freeze after an unnaturally
warm spell ... oh, and lots of overnight rain, but bright sunnny days.


Large numbers of mistle thrushes here (London/Kent). Never really
noticed them in previous years.


Wonderful. I hope we see them here soon. We certainly have enough
snails for them!

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay