A change in the weather…..

Posted on January 17, 2012 by wildlifegardening

With a spell of very cold weather at the moment, the dominant wildlife around the garden has changed. Most noticeably, a large flock of fieldfares has been flying around and eventually they were brave enough to come into the garden to feast on the windfall Bramley apples that litter the garden at the back of the house. We use and store as many as we can, and give plenty away, but I always make sure lots are left behind for the birds. Blackbirds (predominantly males) have been feeding on them for some time, but eighty or so flighty fieldfares have joined the blackbirds to create a throng of birds in the back garden. No redwings with them sadly but these beautiful thrushes are a joy to see.

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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This entry was posted in British birds, Fieldfare, Garden Birds, Garden Wildlife, Gardening, Wildlife Gardening, winter gardening and tagged birds, garden birds, gardening, thrushes, wildlife gardening. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to A change in the weather…..

Thomas Fortune Work Centre Gardening Group says:

January 17, 2012 at 6:10 pm

A joy indeed.

Reply
Val says:

January 19, 2012 at 3:47 pm

Lately there have been a variety of small birds using the feeders in our back garden. I could watch them all day! I must get a bird guide of some sort so I can identify them.

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- wildlifegardening says:
  
  January 19, 2012 at 4:16 pm
  
  Glad you like the blog Val! You might like my other one at justaddbirds.
  
  Reply
Rob says:

January 26, 2012 at 10:30 pm

I’ve seen very few redwings this year. A flock of 60 fieldfares flew over Cordwood earlier in the week. sadly, no windfall apples to entice them down. Give us a couple of years though …..

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