Hedgehog Feasting

New year's eve, a mild night.

Once again we watched the hedgehog feasting on the fox food, he is a very large creature and obviously knows the nocturnal habits of the garden. I never see him arrive, suddenly he is there tucking in to whatever has been put out for the fox. Whenever he finds sandwiches he is very quick to prise them open with his snout and paws, he then proceeds to lick all the spread from the bread before turning his attention to the meat or cheese filling which he demolishes in a very short time, then he drinks from a nearby bird bath and hurries back to his winter shelter in the direction of the greenhouse.

Many times I have watched the foxes eat with the hedgehog and have never seen any aggressive behaviour from a fox,on occasions I have watched a fox steal a piece of food from the hedgehogs mouth. I have also seen him jump when he has investigated the hedgehog too closely.

Old red dog fox

Mid afternoon and broad daylight brought a new visitor to the garden, an old red dog fox. He was very lean and much redder than our three usual fox visitors and was also bigger than the young dog fox who nightly stops by on his wanderings for a spot of supper.

Autumn berries and fieldfares

This morning I was both pleased and surprised to loook out of the window and see a huge flock of fieldfares in the malus. The crab apples which are the fruit of this tree must be well frosted by now but obviously made good eating, because the birds were really tucking in.

I have never had any fruit on this tree at this time of year before. The same can be said for the cotoneaster which is still so heavy with berries that the branches are hanging low with the weight of the fruit. Usually at this time of year all berries and other fruit on trees has long since been eaten.

This year we have had to wait much longer for the redwings and fieldfares to visit us.

I am intrigued to see how soon they clear the malus and if they will then move across the garden to the cotoneaster.

Christmas Starlings

My daughter who lives in East Yorkshire, has just told me that she has a nest of tiny baby starlings in her garden. Unusual for this time of year, I hope they survive the cold winter.

Red Admiral

On the wall of our bungalow is a lovely fresh red admiral, beautiful to see but a little worrying because of the lack of food available to him.

Red Admirals and Bees in December

We are on our way to visit our grandson and his fiancee in Oxfordshire.

The day is surprisingly warm, it is also bright and sunny and with no wind. I find it hard to believe in three days it will be Christmas day.

This morning I watched a beautiful red admiral flying around the garden, the warm sun was also responsible for bees banging against the windows.

Daisies are still blooming on the lawns.

This afternoon at 3:37pm the temperature was still a glorious 12.5 degrees c.

On the journey to our grandson's we see many walkers all hatted and gloved and from the smiles on their faces obviously enjoying the wonderful weather.

May I wish all of you a happy Christmas.

Winter hedgehog

A worrying surprise this evening.

We put the fox food out as normal, it was cold, minus three degrees and obviously dark, but with the outside light on we would be able to enjoy the fox when he ate his supper.

Suddenly across the lawn came not the fox but a hurrying hedgehog from the direction of the greenhouse. He was a large fellow and should have been sound asleep on such a cold night, but there he was tucking into the fox food. He moved from tiny sandwich to tiny sandwich opening each one with his snout, before eating the cheese filling and then carefully licking off the spread before discarding that piece of bread and moving on to the next.

He really tucked in and it was surprising to see how much he ate, before suddenly rushing off back in the direction of the greenhouse.

Songthrush, Tits, Gulls and a Crow

A crisply frosty morning everywhere is white, the sun is shining and steam is rising from a neighbours roof. A song thrush is singing from the very top flimsy bare branch of the Ginko Biloba, its song is repetitive as it swells forth loud and clear, caroling sweetly. A wonderful sound to be greeted with on awakening.

Two little blue tits are investigating a nearby a nesting box.

I place a handful of bird seed, some peanuts, half a cup of mixed fruit, suet and oatmeal on to the bird tables for the smaller birds and  throw three slices of wet bread broken into pieces onto the lawn for the larger birds, usually the pigeons and magpies are the first on the scene but these colder mornings the gulls beat them to it every time.

Finally I empty seed on the ground for the pheasants, although I know if they aren't quick the pigeons and tits will eat it first. If I notice this happening I call to him and he rushes to directly under the window where he is able to eat his food undisturbed.

While I tend to the pheasant I notice No-tail arrive and see a large flock of gulls white underwings bared and hovering over the lawn wheeling and swooping but not quite ready to drop to the food. Suddenly a crow comes hurtling blackly toward them and with one accord they disperse and disappear.

Autumn Leaves and Gulls

The wind has been blowing wildly for days, the garden trees are all but bare with less than a handful of yellowed leaves clinging tenaciously to a few odd branches. The pear tree stands forlornly empty now, bereft of all leaves and with one lone pear hanging from a top most branch, swinging back and forth in the wind, stubbornly clinging on and refusing to let go.

I ventured out briefly and scuffed my wellington clad feet through the layers of autumn leaves on the lawn. They were dry on the top but wet underneath and I was dismayed to find only bare earth underneath them, and no grass left on the lawn. Already the thick covering of mainly magnolia leaves have done their deadliest and as always at this time of year I wonder if the lawn will recover. Surprisingly it usually does.

The jay was interesting this morning, he ignored the food put out for the birds and squirrels and instead spent his time flying from bush to bush, always evergreen ones and once perched he would spend his time bending this way and that, with craned neck and outstretched head peering in all directions into the dark recesses of the shrubs.

What was his business? Is he a youngster and confused by the warmth of October just passed and is looking for nests with eggs or nestlings? Maybe though he is looking for food hidden by the squirrels, but I doubt it as they usually hide it in full view if it is hidden in trees, and usually choose the silver birch or flowering cherry trees.

Once food is on the lawn huge flocks of gulls sweep over at head height, 'till one braver than the rest - usually a youngster-dares to drop down and then is followed by the others. Interestingly, I have noticed the food is always spotted by a solitary gull flying over, he will then fly swiftly away and within a minute a huge flock will arrive, and then the behaviour is as above.

Goldcrests, pigeons and a hawk

While watching a pair of goldcrests flitting about in the birch tree this morning, my attention was diverted by the mass exodus of a  large flock of pigeons from the trees in the field at the end of the garden. They had suddenly and with one accord all taken flight, as I watched them I saw a hawk swiftly following and the reason for their hurried departure became clear.

Also was pleased an hour later to see a little cole tit foraging on the apple tree.

A gathering of winter birds

On a small sunny patch of lawn where the grass had returned to green from its previous white frostiness, I saw a group of birds: a green woodpecker, wren, dunnock, male blackbird, and surprisingly five robins.

The silver birch has small hard brown catkins newly showing.

December creatures and flowers

Another frosty morning, the lawns were white and the sun was bright. I could see steam rising from a neighbours roof --- invisible until recently when a lleylandii barrier was lowered.

Despite the cold feel there were fat bees buzzing around in the early morning sunshine, when I fed the birds, squirrels and pheasants.

I noticed on the hebe shrubs which are still in flower there were many bees, both large and small.

We still have so many flowers blooming which for this time of year is surprising. There are tiny blue birds eyes, pink, red and white roses, a small lavender coloured daisy type of flower which likes to scramble up other plants, another kind of daisy plant still with a profusion of pink and white flowers, viburnum blossoms covering their bushes,a freckles clematis, wonderful bright yellow winter flowering jasmine and the lawns are still daisy spangled.

Last night on the kitchen window were several moths of different types, obviously drawn by the light from indoors.

Smart Robin

Awoke to a bright and frosty morning, fed the birds and other creatures and then my eye was taken by a robin, he visited each bird bath in turn, on finding everyone frozen, that smart little bird flew straight to the pond and took his morning bath there!