Cold comfort for snow birds

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) in the snow yesterday

We had serious snow here in Cardiff on Thursday and Friday – so bad that I was sent home from work at lunchtime on Thursday after a Red Warning was issued. Only a couple of us remembered it was St David’s Day (March 1), a day for daffodils.

Then on Friday I was really frustrated that I couldn’t get into work, after boasting that of course I would be there – I was sure the snow wouldn’t be as bad as they were forecasting. But it was and no buses were running in the city. If I had walked it would have taken me a couple of dangerous hours and I would have been sent straight back home again as soon as I arrived.

So instead I got some housework done, watched some TV and tried to capture the birds outside the kitchen window. We always put out fat blocks and pellets and sunflower seeds and every morning I throw out a couple of handfuls of raisins for the blackbirds, which are always there waiting. We have up to seven or eight of them on a good day.

Male blackbird (Turdus merula)

Female blackbird

Another robin (or the same one as at the top of this post)

Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)…

…it looked me in the eye

Magpie (Pica pica) eating some cooked couscous

I don’t usually put out cooked couscous but we had a field mouse in the kitchen cupboard last week and it had nibbled the couscous packet – so rather than throw it out completely, I cooked it for the birds. It was well received, especially by the blackbirds, wood pigeons and magpies.

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – we don’t see them in the garden as often as you might think

I was delighted to catch this one – very rare except in snowy weather – a thrush relative, the redwing (Turdus iliacus)

The long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) is common here now, but I have never been able to manage a good picture

This is a truly awful image, but it proves I have seen a tiny goldcrest (Regulus regulus) here over the last week or so

Now we have sunshine and rain, so the snow should have cleared a bit by tomorrow and the buses may be running again. I hope that you have all survived and enjoyed the brief excitement of the snow and that spring will be on its way soon…

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