Mild weather at this time of year always seems to freak everyone out, yet it is the two last very cold winters that have been unusual. Looking back at my wildlife and weather notes in my diary, I can see that the temperatures this week in January 2008 were mild, we still had Hebe in flower, we saw wood pigeons mating and our snowdrops were in flower on the 21st. Still a week to go before the latter happens perhaps, but something to really look forward too. With regard to wood pigeons though, I think we have enough here at the moment, with a flock of around 200 in the field next door from time to time, but somehow I don’t think that will stop them making a few more!
About wildlifegardening
Jenny Steel was a Plant Ecologist at Oxford University before becoming a writer. She has more than 20 years experience of writing about and teaching ecology, natural history and wildlife gardening. She is also a photographer, journalist and former plant nursery owner, and a lecturer and tutor in adult education. She has appeared on a variety of radio and television programmes including Gardener’s World with Alan Titchmarsh, and she presented a series of items on the BBC 2 gardening show, How Does Your Garden Grow. She has worked with and written for a variety of organisations including the Royal Horticultural Society, Natural England, Atropos, Ernest Charles, the Adult Residential Colleges Association (ARCA), Haiths, Usborne Books, Complete Gardens, Oxfordshire County Council, the charity Growing Native and several of the Wildlife Trusts. She is also the Garden Bird Guru for the wild bird food company JustAddBirds of which she was a co-founder. The Emmy Award winning film company Panache Productions are currently making a film about her wildlife garden in South Shropshire. She has written 10 books on wildlife gardening. Her website can be found at www.wildlife-gardening.co.uk and her bird food company at www.JustAddBirds.co.uk
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