Photographs - Catkins, Little Owl & resident pair of Mute Swans .. their nest was washed out last year so we hope they are luckier in 2025
FEBRUARY
Well the months move on and at last we are getting some slightly warmer days ... I use the word slightly as the many chilling winds often made it feel that we are still very much in the grip of Winter. In the first part of the month it was near zero and we had the first real settling snow on the 15th ... a picture to watch from a cozy garden room but thankfully did not hang around and the ground was clear the next day. In January the snowdrops were just peeping through the leaf litter but now they are standing proud and we have never seen them make a better showing since we moved to Sapiston in 2011. Also the Hellebores are looking particularly healthy and add wonderful garden border colour to the otherwise dismal grey days. Tulips and Daffs are getting taller .. surely Spring is almost here?? Incidentally a tip regarding the Tulip category .. if you see Muntjac deer regularly in your garden NEVER plant Tulips out in the open borders. I speak from bitter experience .. one animal bit off the heads of every single plant in one night back in 2021 .. the only safe way is to wire them off securely but these small bodied deer are incredibly strong and can dig out under the wire with ease. Now all my Tulips are in pots set out in the kitchen garden at the back of the house and are thriving. Stick to Daffodils and Narcissi .. Muntjacs hate the smell and the taste. On the subject of colour do look closely at the emerging hazel catkins dancing in the wind .. they are really beautiful this year.
For nature February is very much a month of transition; in the latter part of the month Redwing and Fieldfare sightings are becoming rare as the flocks move out towards the east coast before finally starting their reverse migration back to natal breeding rounds in Scandinavia (or occasionally the odd pair will stay on to breed in the remote parts of NE Scotland). On the plus side many bird species are starting to pair bond and search for suitable nest sites. Whoopee .. our garden Robin has found a mate at last and is already inspecting my open fronted boxes for a possible home ... (Note my heavy type .. Robins do not readily take to the usual small round hole boxes; always preferring the open style of home .. or a handy shelf if you leave the shed door open!!) In my January notes I spoke about cleaning and topping up the bird feeders; our record number of Long-tailed Tits on the peanut feeder at one time is now up to 9. Also whilst walking through the Blackbourne Tree Group area along side the Blackbourne River in late January we found one of my tit boxes on the ground after a bad winter storm. It fell on soft ground and was not thankfully badly damaged. I repaired and painted the box and fixed it up on a wall that we can see from the kitchen. Within 48 hours a pair of Blue Tits were busily inspecting the box and I am sure they will go on to nest in March/April. A Great Tit had a look but quickly gave up .. the hole is deliberately Blue Tit size .. I have other box fixings suitable for the larger member of the tit family sited in quieter parts of the garden as Great Tits are generally much more nervous around human activity.
One last piece of good news .. a pair of Little Owls have nested in a local oak tree with natural holes for many years but were not seen in 2024. My wife and I walked out on February 18th and the male was sitting in the hole entrance sunning himself with chest all puffed out. I love Owls and as people know from their calls .. usually Tawny Owls ... are mostly nocturnal; the Little Owl .. god bless him .. is diurnal (is out hunting day and night) and thus we get the chance to see this wonderful tiny feisty owl even in bright daylight.
Keep watching .. there is always something interesting out there !!
Brian Taylor
Well the months move on and at last we are getting some slightly warmer days ... I use the word slightly as the many chilling winds often made it feel that we are still very much in the grip of Winter. In the first part of the month it was near zero and we had the first real settling snow on the 15th ... a picture to watch from a cozy garden room but thankfully did not hang around and the ground was clear the next day. In January the snowdrops were just peeping through the leaf litter but now they are standing proud and we have never seen them make a better showing since we moved to Sapiston in 2011. Also the Hellebores are looking particularly healthy and add wonderful garden border colour to the otherwise dismal grey days. Tulips and Daffs are getting taller .. surely Spring is almost here?? Incidentally a tip regarding the Tulip category .. if you see Muntjac deer regularly in your garden NEVER plant Tulips out in the open borders. I speak from bitter experience .. one animal bit off the heads of every single plant in one night back in 2021 .. the only safe way is to wire them off securely but these small bodied deer are incredibly strong and can dig out under the wire with ease. Now all my Tulips are in pots set out in the kitchen garden at the back of the house and are thriving. Stick to Daffodils and Narcissi .. Muntjacs hate the smell and the taste. On the subject of colour do look closely at the emerging hazel catkins dancing in the wind .. they are really beautiful this year.
For nature February is very much a month of transition; in the latter part of the month Redwing and Fieldfare sightings are becoming rare as the flocks move out towards the east coast before finally starting their reverse migration back to natal breeding rounds in Scandinavia (or occasionally the odd pair will stay on to breed in the remote parts of NE Scotland). On the plus side many bird species are starting to pair bond and search for suitable nest sites. Whoopee .. our garden Robin has found a mate at last and is already inspecting my open fronted boxes for a possible home ... (Note my heavy type .. Robins do not readily take to the usual small round hole boxes; always preferring the open style of home .. or a handy shelf if you leave the shed door open!!) In my January notes I spoke about cleaning and topping up the bird feeders; our record number of Long-tailed Tits on the peanut feeder at one time is now up to 9. Also whilst walking through the Blackbourne Tree Group area along side the Blackbourne River in late January we found one of my tit boxes on the ground after a bad winter storm. It fell on soft ground and was not thankfully badly damaged. I repaired and painted the box and fixed it up on a wall that we can see from the kitchen. Within 48 hours a pair of Blue Tits were busily inspecting the box and I am sure they will go on to nest in March/April. A Great Tit had a look but quickly gave up .. the hole is deliberately Blue Tit size .. I have other box fixings suitable for the larger member of the tit family sited in quieter parts of the garden as Great Tits are generally much more nervous around human activity.
One last piece of good news .. a pair of Little Owls have nested in a local oak tree with natural holes for many years but were not seen in 2024. My wife and I walked out on February 18th and the male was sitting in the hole entrance sunning himself with chest all puffed out. I love Owls and as people know from their calls .. usually Tawny Owls ... are mostly nocturnal; the Little Owl .. god bless him .. is diurnal (is out hunting day and night) and thus we get the chance to see this wonderful tiny feisty owl even in bright daylight.
Keep watching .. there is always something interesting out there !!
Brian Taylor