Dear reader...

THE SHORTEST DAY is past and days are slowly starting to get longer. There may still be snow to come of course, turning the countryside into a white wonderland. For many of our wild birds, this is a difficult time. Putting out a variety of food can make all the difference for them. And there is a reward, not only in feeling you have helped, but also in watching them feeding. One year I had a family of long-tailed tits who would descend on the feeders en masse, twittering to each other. They were a delight to see as they flitted from feeder to feeder. But even the humblest sparrow is entertaining as it pecks away at a seed feast. On other occasions, I have watched with awe as squirrels work out how to get into even the most “squirrel proof” feeders. One managed to work out that if he spun it in a certain way, it unscrewed from its hanger and fell to the ground. At this point the contents would fall out. Such ingenuity deserved everything it could get, and I hadn’t the heart to stop using the feeder. One of the biggest problems is finding places to hang the feeders that are sheltered for the birds, but safe from the cat. Fortunately cold weather, and snow in particular, keeps him indoors, curled up in front of the fire. So the birds can get on with feasting and I can enjoy watching them.