Thursday 31st January 2019

Coldest night/day so far this winter. -6 overnight, 4c this afternoon.
After time spent breaking ice in the water dishes and topping up feeders I spent rest of the day working on project book. Taking some time this is, up to June now.

Wednesday 30th January 2019

Hard overnight frost, cold and sunny day. Temperature this afternoon reaching 4c.
Out this afternoon at the local asbestos support group which I will continue to attend as clearly support is of help to those that still suffer from differing asbestos related issues. I am one of the few lucky ones that can still live a near normal life. 
             The female blackcap busy feeding still from the sunflower feeder, a regular visitor now, had been since November.
More starlings than usual visited today liking the Rutland food mix which I have recently introduced.

Tuesday 29th January 2019

Cold with temperature this afternoon reaching 5c. Raining tonight. Chicago -45c Australia 45c what a contrast.
A day in town today visiting the museum and eating at a steak house. The refurbishment at the museum slightly behind schedule but hope to open fully again early Spring. It is looking good so look forward now to my next visit.

Nothing else to report today.

Monday 28th January 2019

Windchill factor made it feel very cold, however temperature reached 7c this afternoon. Sunny day with a good sunrise and sunset.
                Used my meerkam today to check out activity in the fox den. No one in residence which allowed me to create a trap door over the den. This will allow me to connect up a camera if the foxes do in time stay permanently. Not sure at the moment what the plan is? Fox cam showed activity last night by just the one fox.
Male and female great spotted woodpecker feeding in the garden this afternoon as was a female blackcap.
Had a rest from project book today.

Sunday 27th January 2019

Wind factor made the day feel very cold. Temperature however reached 6c this afternoon. Stunning sunset tonight.
Day indoors working on project book. Testing my patience this year as decided to identify each image. Am finding it an impossible task identifying moths and insects despite all my reference books. May well give up and use the format as previous years with no identification, better that than get it wrong?
                               Female blackcap busy today enjoying currants. Was able to achieve a few half decent photographs. A rather windswept female great spotted woodpecker spent a fair amount of time on the peanut feeder this afternoon, again achieved a few photographs. 

Saturday 26th January 2019

Mild and overcast, raining tonight. Temperature reached 12c this afternoon.
A day working on project book.
Did check out the SD cards, the female blackcap still very much in residence at the bottom end of the garden. Feeding from the peanut butter feeder.
Another night of fox activity at the den. 

Friday 25th January 2019

Much milder today, temperature reached a high of 13c this afternoon.
Good to be back on line after a week of little or no internet. A fault in the road. 
Worked on project book today so nothing to report re the wildlife today.

Thursday 24th January 2019

Very cold day, still plenty of snow in the garden re my photograph on Meridian South Weather news tonight. Apparently was featured on the 6pm news. I was not aware it was being featured so missed it. I only realised when I started receiving messages.
                 Despite the snow and cold I created another wood pile from the willow tree branch logs. Project willow tree now finished.
Checked out the trail camera SD cards and wow, some wicked images of the fox pair entering and leaving their den. Interesting days ahead hopefully. Will leave a trail camera recording 24/7 now. Do not want to miss the activity.
                   Enjoyed an afternoon/evening at Lulu and Clive. I am for ever envious of their home in the wood. The chickens are loving it, such natural surroundings for them. The wood is a blanket of snowdrops at the moment. The hares were busy late this afternoon, managed a few photographs but difficult as they cant arf run.

Wednesday 23rd January 2019

Cold and sunny day, no further snow from last night. Temperature this afternoon reached 4c.
Delivery of bird food today arrived just in time as birds are eating loads at the moment.
Most of the day spent keeping feeders topped up and bird baths free of ice.
               No sign of fieldfares yet despite a lawn full of apples, only winter bird seen so far is the female blackcap.
Something interesting occurred overnight. Two years ago a fox family bred and grew up under some decking close to the pond making an entrance from the wooded area. Over time this entrance has been filled in with leaves and twigs. Last night this entrance was rediscovered and cleared. Have the foxes returned? Trail camera now set.

Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Cold and sunny day, temperature reached 6c this afternoon. Late this afternoon however the temperature dropped somewhat and experienced the rust snowfall of the winter. Snow started falling at 3pm and by 5pm the garden was covered.
Think I may have taken a few photographs!
Hard to believe but it was a lovely morning which I spent in the garden working on project willow tree. All the branches now cut into logs for a new log pile.
                   Amazed at the amount of fungi still growing. Have now joined a FB fungi group so should be able to identify more accurately.

Monday 21st January 2019

Cold and overcast day. Temperature thus afternoon reached 5c.
Photographed a ladybird late this afternoon when temperature was 4c. Was on a fence post, crawled down the post and disappeared into a crack in the timber.
Managed a photograph of a jay this afternoon feeding on monkey nuts.
Also seen on the feeders were goldfinches, blue and great tits, starlings, pigeons, doves, dunnocks, blackbirds, GSW and a couple of magpies.

Most of the day spent working on project book.

Sunday 20th January 2019

Cold day with temperature this afternoon reaching 6c.

Day working on project book.

Saturday 19th January 2019

Cold day with temperature reaching just 5c this afternoon.

Day working on project book.

Friday 18th January 2019

Hard overnight frost, cold and sunny day. Temperature reached 7c this afternoon.
A day indoors in front of the desk top working on project book. July and August images sorted now. Thought it was a bad year for moths but looking back on moth images today it is clear 2018 wax actually a good year .
                 Wildlife surprise today was the appearance of two more female blackbirds with white patches. That is four now with a male also with the condition.
SD cards did not show up any surprises. Two foxes only with of course the usual number of cats.

Thursday 17th January 2019

Overnight frost, cold day with fair amount of sun. Temperature this afternoon reached 6c.
Project willow tree, created a willow fence today with the long stems. The fence borders the snowdrop area of the garden.
 Working at the bottom end of the garden today means there are no wildlife news.
              

Wednesday 16th January 2019

Cold, dull, overcast with showers but a beautiful sunset. Temperature reached 7c this afternoon.
A day sitting in front of the desk top having another go at the 2018 wildlife book. Started on July today. Did we really experience temperatures of 35c?
                  Checked out two days of trail camera images. Interesting to see a cat and fox having a scrap, all over the food bowl. Both clearly hungry but not prepared to share.
Really pleased to see the female black cap eating from the woodland feeder. Hopefully will see the male soon.
                   Hellebores, snowdrops and crocus all out and giving the garden some early winter colour.

Tuesday 15th January 2019

Mild day and mostly overcast. Temperature this afternoon reached 11c.
No wildlife reporting today, hospital this morning and a visit from Lulu and Clive this afternoon.

Monday 14th January 2019

Mildly cold, sunny out most of the day. Temperature reached 13c this afternoon.
Project willow tree, all the twiggy bits shredded and bagged. Four large sacks of shredded willow twigs now ready to spread in the wooded area.
There is a downside to today, body not able to cope with such work, am suffering somewhat tonight.
Checked out the trail camera SD cards tonight and another couple of nights of just the one fox, hundreds of cats and the odd rat. Some good images of assorted birds at the feeder and bird bath.
The blackbirds with white in their tail feathers is causing a little interest. Through Twitter the BTO have made contact for further details. Apparently this is happening more now so have created a survey form in order to collect data from around the country.

Sunday 13th January 2019

Much milder and sunny most of the day. Temperature reached 13c this afternoon.
Another day on project willow tree. All sorted in respective piles now. First job now is to shred all the twiggy bits. Hopefully can do this tomorrow.
           Amazed at the fungi that appeared overnight. Some good bracket fungi and other species.
The winter numbers of blackbirds have now appeared with seven on the lawn today. Also large quantities of goldfinches. Great spotted woodpecker and a jay also seen along with the usual daily visitors.

Saturday 12th January 2019

Cold and sunny. Temperature reached 11c this afternoon. A good sunrise and sunset today.
Most of the day spent on project willow tree.
Made a good start in sorting out the cut branches, long twigs for the fence, thick branches will be cut into logs for a log pile and twigs will be shredded and spread on the garden.
                  Enjoying lunch and wad aware of a bird landing on the glazed conservatory roof. Pigeons are doing this all the time, thus was no pigeon however. It was a male sparrowhawk. Stayed a while ultimately moving to the fence where he stayed for some while allowing me to capture a few good images.
The SD cards didn't show up any surprises. The one fox and a few rats and mice. Missing the hedgehogs.

Friday 11th January 2019

Cold and sunny day, superb sunset tonight.
What a day. This morning I attended an event at the Community Centre which I am involved with.
The event was organised to encourage local folk to join us at the museum to reminisce and if happy to partake record your stories of living in Whitley to the sound recordist. 
What a turnout, what a result. The Community Centre was busy all morning with so many interesting stories expressed. This will certainly be a regular event now.
This afternoon met with Adam and Adrian at Fidget and Bob on Kennet Island to discuss future articles in Whitley Pump Words Press. 
Good result and the agreement is I write once a month on garden and local wildlife seen in the month. Adrian to write on what had been recorded at Fobney.
This is what Matthew Farrell was working towards before his untimely death last year.

No time today to record what was around the garden. Will check out the SD cards tomorrow.

Thursday 10th January 2019

Hard overnight frost, good ice formations. Cold and overcast day. Temperature this afternoon reached 5c.
Day spent working on project book. Have sorted images taking me to May so a long way to go yet then there is the task of identifying each image.
Being locked away in front of the desk top today I did not get a chance to see much wildlife. Did see a jay and a great spotted woodpecker at lunchtime.
One of my old abandoned bird feeders had grown whiskers like I have not seen before, apparently it is a type of pin mould phycomyes blakesleeannus.

Wednesday 9th January 2019

Cold and sunny day with temperature reaching 5c this afternoon.
Guess what? Bought some shoes today from an out of town retailer in a 60% off sale at only £12.99. Well pleased!

Amazed at how the snowdrops are forming already. The problem I have is that they are not coming out en mass, just a few groups here and there. With mass planting over the years I was expecting a good show.
            Female great spotted woodpecker in the garden today as were magpies, goldfinches, blue tits, great tits, chaffinches, dunnocks, starlings, robins, blackbirds, doves and pigeons.
Just the one fox out last night.

Tuesday 8th January 2019

Cold and sunny day, temperature reaching 10c this afternoon.
Most of the day spent in town, post Christmas shopping! No wonder internet sales are booming. Was in town to purchase a pair of warm trousers for outdoor walking pursuits and a pair of black shoes. Trousers were fine, no issues but oh dear as for the shoes. Gave up after visiting 3 household name shops.
Shop 1 had just what I required, on display was size12. Sorry Sir no size 9, try internet sales.
Shop 2 also had just what I required, only one shoe of size 9 on display. Sorry Sir we don't                       we don't appear to have the other shoe, try internet sales.
Shop 3 also had what I required, brown on display. Sorry Sir we don't have black, try internet 
             sales.
Glad I only purchase shoes every 10 years.

Due to most of my day taken up with non purchase of a pair of shoes there was no time for garden wildlife watching!
Interesting Fobney Nature Reserve meeting tonight. Plan of action for the 2019 discussed with a site visit arranged for the end of January as there are a couple of issues raised where help from the council and environment agency are required.  

Monday 7th January 2019

Cold and miserably overcast all day. Temperature reached a high of 8c this afternoon.
Enjoyed a dawn walk at Fobney, sun did not show but was atmospheric with a dark blue sky, barges lining the canal and of course the winter dawn chorus.
            Day mostly spent on the book project, images for three months now chosen. At one of my many tea breaks I spotted the male and female great spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker in the robinia tree. What excitement. Still amazes me what I see from my armchair, makes you wonder what I miss?
Trail cameras confirmed the fox pair and a few rats out last night. Also captured Tufty collecting further nesting material.
Image 1 - Ratty.
    "     2 - Tufty collecting nesting material.
    "     3 - Foxy.
 " 4 & 5 - Sunrise from my armchair.
 " 6 - 10 - Fobney at dawn.
 "       11 - Pair of great spotted woodpeckers in the robinia tree.
12 & 13 - Female green woodpecker.