In Finland, birdbaths are only seen in a few gardens. I dug a water hole in the yard of my previous house (I think I even posted pictures of it on the forum at the time), but digging one in the yard of an apartment building here might cause resentment among the other residents.I find that unfrozen water is as important as the seed feeders on -minus days.
I always put fresh water down irrespective, even if it’s already frozen!
As you say….Poeciles, Robins, Dunnock, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush and even on occasion Wren seem to have a need.👍
A Le Sanglier would be welcome here.Yikes Jos, I hope the Wild Boar around here don’t discover our feeders, we only have a few square mètres of ‘lawn’ and we’d like to keep it unploughed by les sangliers!
Up with the lark this morning (except we never see larks) at 04h50 as my wife was doing an early shift, I spent a good hour listening for owls -zilch. Still, a nice reward later on when at least three Black Grouse were on show across the valley having their breakfast of deep frozen birch buds.
Less exotic, but welcome nonetheless, the first
34 Starling
of the year, three feeding on the only unfrozen part of the fields down in the valley with thrushes. Between 2017 and 2022 I only had one January sighting of the species but today’s birds constitute the third year in a row that Starling have made an appearance in the first month.
Haha, I was tempted to have a small glass of my 'Ararat' Armenian Cognac to keep me warm earlier as I was outside scanning the frozen fields for half an hour hoping for a Grey Wagtail to visit the famous dung heap! Still I got a reward thanks to being out of doors as I heard the sweet melodic screech of aA Le Sanglier would be welcome here. View attachment 1623533
Haha, I was tempted to have a small glass of my 'Ararat' Armenian Cognac to keep me warm earlier as I was outside scanning the frozen fields for half an hour hoping for a Grey Wagtail to visit the famous dung heap! Still I got a reward thanks to being out of doors as I heard the sweet melodic screech of a
35 Spotted Nutcracker
not far away, moments later two of them flew past. I don't always see them in mid-winter as they mostly stay higher up in the forest until August when they start their hazelnut raids.