Frosty Days

It's been a cold week so far, with a sparkly frost most mornings. A close look at the garden has shown some beautifully intricate patterns and shapes outlined by the frost. These ferns look quite spectacular with their frosty edges.

Dead leaves suddenly look prettier, as if they've been dipped in icing.

The grass is crisp and crunches underfoot, reminding me of the grass made of mint sugar in Willy Wonka's factory in 'Charlie and the Chocolate factory'.

The cold air stings my face, and my breath makes little white clouds in front of me. The rosemary looks wonderfully spiky and brittle, as if it could easily snap.

And the hart's tongue fern has undulating crinkly edges.

The slate tiles on the roofs sparkle under a dusting of white, and I feel sorry for the starlings, crows and pigeons who sit on the rooftops and telephone wires on cold mornings.

I feed the birds all year round, but make a special effort in the wintertime. Food is scarce as most of the berries, seeds and nuts are eaten now. This is a new bird table, as our old one blew over and broke in the high winds we had last year. I get such a lot of pleasure from feeding birds - it's important to help them survive, and when I catch a glimpse of them it's quite magical.

Starlings love the coconut half with suet

 and seeds in it, and peck at it with their long pointy beaks.

 They are a very sociable bird, gathering together in groups chattering and bickering. In the winter their plumage is especially attractive, iridescent and shiny.

 

In both the front and back gardens I hang several fat balls, which many birds like. At this time of year I refill them every few days.

The cherry tree makes an excellent feeding station.

Last year I made a list of birds which come to the garden. They include:

robins

blackbirds

sparrows

starlings

goldfinches

greenfinches

blue tits

great tits

long tailed tits

coal tits

dunnocks

pigeons

and these rather sweet collared doves who always visit in pairs.

My pictures are a little fuzzy as I'm not the best bird photographer - they always seem to fly away just as I get my camera out! Here is a photo from last spring of a pair of goldfinches on the feeder. I haven't seen any this winter, but am so looking forward to seeing their bright, colourful, almost exotic plumage again in our garden. That flash of red and yellow is unmistakeable.

And so, while I dream of warmer days in the middle of January we console ourselves with hot mugs of cocoa, and extra blankets on our beds - a treat on a cold winter's evening!