Monday 1st November

Back to work after my extended break, including a week in Cornwall.  The morning started off well with a Coal Tit and GS Woodpecker in the garden.  The only points on interest on my bike ride into work were a clamour of 14x Rooks, surprisingly scarce on this part of the patch, feeding on the pasture east of Gallagher's underpass with a Carrion Crows and Black-headed Gulls.  Passing Kiln Barn Farm Barn I heard two Little Owls calling from the trees to the east, the first time I've heard them since spring.

The final leg up the entrance track to work (East Malling Research) turned up my first patch Fieldfares of the winter - six silhouetted on the wires above the orchard...I wonder when they arrived?  Also a large flock of Chaffinches, no white-rumps amongst them, and a Green Woodpecker stuck to the pole (can you see him?).

My lunchtime stroll took in some of the fantastic autumn colours in the surrounding orchards - the cherries were blazing, the leaves taking on the same hue as a Robin's red breast.

Nice to see one of the winter cherries (Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnnalis') with fresh blossom and deep orange leaves.

Cycling home in the dark I was pleased to hear a Tawny Owl in Oaken Wood - my second owl of the day - probably the only advantage of the clocks going back!

Friday 8th January

I've been confined to the house since Tuesday, looking after my wife who's recovering from an op, and also my boys as their school has been closed since Thursday. Garden watching it was, but despite the garden feeders being full and a plentiful supply of fresh water being provided the garden seems pretty much deserted. Perhaps the birds are finding easier pickings elsewhere or maybe some of them have perished (where have 'my' Coal Tits gone)? After exceptionally heavy snow first thing (when one chap skied down South Street!) I was pleased at least to see 5x Greenfinch feeding in the Field Maples at the back on my garden, my peak count this winter has been 2, much reduced from the 25+ I've had in previous years. These are the trees that were frequented by the Hawfinches in recent years, and they were often associating with the Greenfinch flock - fingers crossed!

This afternoon was spent sledging off Church Lane, Barming. Where the sledging slope had been worn down to grass I was suprised to see a Meadow Pipit and Robin, dodging the sledges to pick at whatever had been churned up. Nine plus Lesser Redpoll were also still feeding in a Silver Birch in South Street, Barming.

Icicles outside my lad's bedroom window have grown massively in the last two days - sorry for another photo, just fascinated by them, and this in the first winter my eldest boy has seen them (he's now six!).