Out of the gloom

 Storm Darragh might well have passed, yet there remains a blasting NE wind which despite the thermometer registering 8C, with the wind chill factored in, ensures it feels bloody freezing! Grey skies and intermittent, heavy, showers quickly put pay to  any thoughts of walking around that new still water, this morning, and a trip to Tesco proved to be a far better option. It's not often you'll hear me say that! The garden continues to provide me with my daily wildlife fix as the feeding stations do their thing. Hedgehogs remain very active, although it does appear that they are not over enamoured by the high winds. There have also been a couple of sightings of a Fox, which is very encouraging. The bird feeders remain a great source of entertainment and it was a very pleasant surprise to spot an adult male Great Spotted Woodpecker on the fat-ball feeder. My first garden sighting in six weeks.

House Sparrows, Blue & Great Tits dominate the seed feeders, although there have been occasions when double figure counts of Rose-ringed Parakeets have taken over the scene. A couple of Robins seem happy to squabble over the territorial rites and there are a regular group of four female Chaffinches that search for scraps beneath the sunflower heart feeders. With all this activity it is no surprise that the local Sparrowhawks make regular visits and I was really happy to grab a few images of an adult male perched on the framework of the derelict aviary yesterday morning.

Really looking forward to tonight's PAC social, confident that there will be some top class banter whilst consuming our Christmas meals. Quite a bit to talk about, in relation to the John Roberts Memorial event, which takes place in early January, so I am hopeful that the evening will be a very productive, yet entertaining, gathering.