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With the cold weather we're experiencing lately, I'm making sure that the bird feeders are kept topped up. I'm being rewarded with a good variety of birds which are visiting the garden, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, robins, coal tits, blue tits, an occasional great tit, collared doves, wood pigeons, and although we've seen the occasional greenfinch in the past, they're now visiting in greater numbers and are a regular visitor. I hang niger seed in the hope that I can attract some goldfinches, they're such colourful birds, and I've had the odd one or two in the past but haven't seen any for quite some time now. It's just as important to provide water as it is food, as many of the regular places where birds drink and bathe turns to ice in these conditions. It can be quite a task keeping the water from freezing though. Next weekend, it's the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. Over the period of an hour, you watch the birds in your garden or a public park, and record the highest number of each bird species you see at the same time. These numbers should then be reported back to the RSPB, and it helps them to monitor trends and give an understanding of how birds are doing. I'm hoping to set aside an hour during the weekend in order to do my bit.
The snow hasn't been too bad here, we've still got a covering, but we missed the heavy snowfall which was forecast in the early hours of Saturday morning. The prediction now is for heavy snow tonight and in to the early hours, and it looks like we're in for these type of conditions well in to next week. I'm hoping that the school stays open as my son is taking exams towards his A levels this week.
Those Paperwhites are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIf you want Goldfinches in your garden, try putting out sunflower kernels. They love those. I see Goldfinches quite often these days, usually in small flocks of 4 or 5 at a time.
I've already got sunflower kernels out. It's like a bird cafe in my garden, lots of different things for all the different species. I've had a chaffinch visit this morning which is unusual.
DeleteWhat lovely looking flowers pity about the smell of public toilets though;)
ReplyDeleteThey're such pretty flowers. I don't think they smell of toilets, there must be something wrong with Hubby's nose.
DeleteYour husband must have been in some high class public toilets.
ReplyDeleteA Marl says sunflower hearts for goldfinches. Ours love them and despite all information you read prefer them to niger. The niger seed feeder has some visits but generally only if there is no room on the sunflower hearts. Maybe the goldfinches haven't spotted your yet - is it a recent addition.
As for Birdwatch - I wonder if the birds will disappear during this period as they usually do
Ha ha, who knows. I have both sunflower hearts and niger seed, neither recent purchases, but funny how you say they prefer sunflower hearts as all the information I've read mention niger seed. Well, they don't like either in my garden, humph. I hope the birds don't disappear during Birdwatch, there's better things I could be doing with an hour than watching empty feeders.
DeleteYes, I have goldfinches, greenfinches & chaffinches visiting the sunflower hearts on my feeder. Your flowers are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving having such a selection of birds visiting, it wasn't long ago that it was mainly sparrows and starlings, even though I've always offered a variety of food.
DeleteHi I have just found your blog re Green Lane Road blog. I love the 'Paperwhite' picture on this post, it's beautiful isn't it.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to get a hot drink and sit down as it looks like i'll be reading your blog for a long time...I love finding new good blogs!
I love Paperwhites, it's a shame they've been banished to the conservatory. A hot drink sounds good in this weather. I'm spending the day cosying up indoors, so I shall be popping over to your blog soon.
Deletehello
ReplyDeletethose paperwhites are gorgeous!!! i love it!!!
wonderful blog!
have a nice week,
regina
They're such pretty flowers, it's a shame that some people don't enjoy their scent. Hope you have a nice week too.
DeleteNice flowers, and the scent doesn't bother me! Next week's birdwatch is something that I always look forward to. It looks like you'll have plenty to count.
ReplyDeleteIt's been snowing here again all day and there's perhaps been a couple of inches. No doubt it'll cause chaos in the morning. Flighty xx
I hope the birds don't disappear when it's Birdwatch, it would be nice to have a good count. We had quite a heavy snowfall overnight and the school has closed.
DeleteThe flowers are lovely Jo but I know what your husband means as I feel the same about lilies indoors! I've had the same weather as Flighty, being on the same flightpath as him and luckily I work from home so won't have to struggle on the streets tomorrow. Next weekend's birdwatch will be interesting - I sat watching two fat wood pigeons sitting very still on a slim snowy branch this afternoon, with not another bird in sight!
ReplyDeleteI know of people who don't like the scent of hyacinths too. I don't mind the snow if I'm able to stay indoors but I hate it when it gets compacted and turns to ice. The wood pigeons usually come and clear up all the seed dropped from the feeders. At least they tidy up for me.
DeleteThe flowers are lovely and I m sure your husband just has a strange sense of smell! I have been feeding the birds at work and now they sit in the bush opposite my window every morning waiting for breakfast! Xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how things smell different to different people. The birds certainly know where food is on offer and keep coming back.
DeleteLove your paperwhites. My Husband hates the smell of them too. It's just after 8am here in Dublin and we are having our first fall of snow. I topped up the bird feeder yesterday, I knew the weather was going to get bad there was a feeding frenzy going on in the back garden yesterday. Who needs weather men when you have birds.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's not just my hubby who has a strange sense of smell. Hope the snow isn't too bad for you. We've had a heavy snowfall here now and the birds are certainly appreciating the food on offer.
DeleteLoving the paperwhites. We also found some half-price post Christmas and they've been rapidly growing but not yet flowered - hopefully they will soon :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Hope your paperwhites flower for you soon, it didn't take mine long to flower once they'd produced some buds.
DeleteBeautiful flowers but paperwhites are a bit like hyacinths Jo - I love both of them but can't be in the same room with either for long, as they both make me sneeze. I've not noticed a public toilet aroma though :) Hope that all is going well with your son's exams.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame you're allergic to these beautiful flowers. Exams started last week, and he's still got four to go. So far so good. Thank you for asking.
DeleteBeautiful flowers Jo. Tony doesnt like anything scented, including flowers, candles and plug in air fresheners! I have to sneak them on/in. He says they make his asthma bad!
ReplyDeleteI think Tony has a valid excuse for not wanting anything scented around if they make his asthma bad, such a shame though as I love to have smelly things in the house.
DeleteWhat lovely flowers! I'll be doing the bird watch as well. Hoping to get some good photos.
ReplyDeleteI find it so difficult to get even half decent photos of birds, but I hope to get a good selection visiting the garden on the day.
DeleteHi Jo, I love the scent but my other half is not keen. I was googling Paper Whites when I did a post on them in November and the scent is definitely not to everyone's taste, there were descriptions ranging from smelly socks to manure! Its seems like some people are sensitive to the chemicals in the scent and just don't like it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny how a scent can be so many different things to different people. I tend to like all the things which many people dislike.
DeleteI actually think my inability to share a room with scented flowers is getting worse with age. Every year a new plant is added to my list of flowers which are my friends while they are in bud, but are destined to be relegated to the guest loo once the flowers open. Thanks to your husband, I am now worried that our guests might think our loo smells of public toilets!
ReplyDeleteAll the best to your son. Our kids haven't been to school since last Tuesday, which doesn't matter too much at their age, but I have been wondering how older students with important public exams are coping. I hope all goes well.
At least you have somewhere where the flowers can still be enjoyed. The school has been closed yesterday and today, but my son has exams tomorrow and Friday, so he'll have to go in, come what may.
DeletePaper whites are so beautiful but I'm one of those who doesn't like the smell, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteWe had some more snow over night but I think the thaw is setting in. It's nice to see the nights are getting longer.
I'm working this weekend so I might not get a chance to do the birdwatch. All the birds disappear anyway when I sit down to do it. ;)
There seems to be quite a few people who don't like the smell of paperwhites, it must be their beauty which makes them so popular. I've noticed that the curtains don't get drawn quite so early now. I'm hoping that I get a good selection of birds in the garden when I do the Birdwatch, but it's never guaranteed.
DeleteJo, I love paperwhites but not sure about the scent. Goldfinches are regular visitors to my garden. They are not so pretty in the winter since their feathers turn greenish -- love their bright yellow spring color. Hope you don't have snow when I visit England next month. P. x
ReplyDeleteWhether people like the scent or not, I don't think there's any dispute about the beauty of paperwhites, aren't they lovely? I do wish I could attract some goldfinches to the garden, they're such colourful birds. We've had a heavy snowfall overnight but I'm hoping that's the end of it now. The forecast is for a return to milder conditions, so you may be lucky when you visit next month.
DeleteHi Jo, just playing catch up with everyone after a long absence due to no other reason than I just didn't sit at the computer. Our snow has now gone although was quite bad last week. Only a couple of the schools shut though.
ReplyDeleteHope your area wasn't too bad.
Good luck with the Anya potatoes. I gave them a go last year, also bought them from Wilkinson and I was pleased with taste, texture and yield so fingers crossed they do so well for you.
We have been keeping the bird feeders topped up nicely and putting some extras out too to help them keep warm over the cold spell.
Nice to see you back. We had our heaviest snowfall on Friday night in to Saturday morning. We had to dig the car out yesterday, but you wouldn't believe it now, it's just about all gone after heavy rainfall overnight. I'm looking forward to trying the Anya potatoes, I'm glad you were pleased with them. We've had plenty of birds in the garden during the cold spell, I like to do my bit for them and give them a good meal.
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