The Big Garden Watch

This weekend was the weekend of the RSPB Big Garden Watch. As usual I partook.

Saturday was bleak. The wind blew. My, did it blow. Few birds ventured out. It was noticeable that all I saw were the larger birds – black-headed gulls, magpies, carrion crows, wood pigeons. In the afternoon we went out & popped into the golf club for some refreshment. Even there, normally a place heaving with starlings & sparrows, there were few birds around. We sat in the small side room, looking out across Morecambe Bay. The gulls were going backwards no matter how vigorously they flapped their wings – the wind was so strong. A whole stable of white horses slammed into the shoreline.

I looked out again yesterday. This time it was less windy but wetter. Again nothing much moved – a couple of collared doves, a starling & a blue tit.

In the afternoon the Fox looked out of the other kitchen window. He was surprised to see a blue tit at the nearby window box. From his/her behaviour, you would think he/she had young. But it is far too early. I’m telling myself it was just tidying up & remaking the nest for the coming season. Or are the tits as put out & confused by the mildness of the winter as we are & breeding early this year? Either way it would suggest spring is on its way, not so far off.