November

Weather Stats This Month

Max Temp =  14.1 deg C               Min Temp =   -3.3 C            

 Max Wind  28.1 mph              Max Rain in 24 hr Period = 30.5 mm

 Max Rain in 1 hr Period = 7.2 mm          Total Rain For Month = 123.2 mm

Diary

24th.  A real up and down weekend with the Friday being a beautiful day with sunshine being the order. A day off work for Mandy and myself but a hospital appointment cut the day short. It stayed cool only reaching about 3 deg C and with the overnight lows due to the clear night a light snowfall was here early saturday morning. This soon turned to rain as the previous nights low of minus 3.3 deg C were up to 4 deg as the clouds rolled in. Most of the day then stayed very grey,dark and wet! Sunday was a better day with much cloud but largely remained dry with temps rising to 8 degC.

In the garden I keep chuckling as one of the recent returning visitors is turning out to be quite a personality. A Mistle Thrush has now taken up residence within the garden and has taken it upon himself to guard the "Starlings table" which is laden with sultanas. This Thrush defends it and the surrounding trees from any Starling or Blackbird. It is quite comical to watch the Starlings have there own behaviour forced upon themselves.....I just have to laugh as the Starlings inch there way down the tree only to cross and imaginable line which sends the Mistle Thrush into action making sure they are forced away from the area. I know it's unfair but I would rather a Mistle Thrush any day. The Blackbirds seek alternative feeding arrangements in the garden where they can stock up on sultanas. It is the first time that a Mistle Thrush has shown such strong attachment to food in the garden and I wonder if this is a sign of the bad winter in store???...I hope!

18th. Today is one of those days where I am expecting something seasonal to turn up like an overdue Goldcrest or even a more unusual visitor like a Brambling. It's strange how you can feel like this but with the weather of late turning decidedly cool and the volume of birds visiting at the moment coupled with the sighting of 12 Redwing in Poplar trees that run adjacent to the garden yesterday, makes me keep a closer than usual eye on the garden. In the garden this morning I have counted 9 Blackbirds, 20 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch,2 Chaffinch, 1 Grey Wagtail and 3 Collared Doves. This is more like what I felt the garden should be like at this time of year but it was no surprise to see this as the first of the snow arrived last night. Whilst in the garden it was evident by a little sleet it was quite obvious that others had had a reasonable fall with cars driving by having at least a couple of inches added to them. It is now, at 10:15, just drizzle with thick cloud which is making for a real dark damp dismal day, certainly not one for photography!

Here are a few pictures I took a while back with the Great Tit making me go aaaHHH. It waqs late evening when I took this and I presume it was looking for somewhere to roost but I think this old peanut feeder was possibly not really a good idea.

This Robin above is now the proud owner of this garden and as such enjoys the spoils largely to himself although now and again he has to defend his plot from the odd invader. Whilst he/she is dominant I have been surprised at the lack of song to be heard and can only assume that the influx of Robins has not reached our garden so the Robin has not had to be very vocal. We shall see as the winter progresses!

4th.  Bonfire season is in full swing with never a minute passing without a loud bang or crack. Our cat is sheltering inside as she really does not like this time of year. The garden is very quiet during the day and I am now wondering if a marauding Cat is responsible. I was stunned to watch a cat leap 6 foot in the air straight up to one of the feeder trays attached to the feeder poles. It clung to the tray for a while sending the birds crazy and then dropped down into the hedge plants below! Mandy has made a baffle to put around the pole to stop the direct route it took so I am hopeful I may just foil this persistent bugger.

I made use of the dry and sunny day today and cleaned out a nest box which had been used in the spring by a Blue Tit. It had been used with success as no eggs or chick carcasses were in evidence. I am always wary of cleaning the boxes out as I have, in the past, ended up with many itches and lumps due to parasites in the nest boxes attaching themselves to me and my clothing.

 I also redesigned a nestbox with a colour camera in it. This I use to monitor any nesting Great Tits but was sadly not used this year. I have now included larger "windows" into the box so that the camera can give a better colour image due to the increased light. I used polycarbonate sheets and affixed fablon opaque film to two sides of the polycarbonate. I have done this with the front and one side of the box and although it was late when I finished and the light levels were fading early checks seemed positive. I just wonder how the birds will like a box with more light in them.

If anybody is interested I am selling a few items including Mandys canon camera and my Manfrotto 128RC tripod head. If this is of any interest please click on the links below