Song Sparrow

There are a couple of pairs of Song Sparrows in the garden at the moment starting the process of looking for a nesting site and generally settling in.

After Christmas we had put the ex-Xmas tree out on the deck near to the heated waterbath in order to provide shelter from weather and predators for birds coming for a drink in the cold. Now that spring is almost here (it snowed on Monday when this picture was taken) we suspect from its behaviour that the Song Sparrow has been looking at the dead tree with an eye to setting up home in it. The tree will have to be moved in the next couple of days – he is free to use it for raising the next generation, if that’s what he has in mind, but over at the back near the stumpery.

Galanthus nivalis

By the end of the week a good 80% of the snow had gone and the clumps of snowdrops were showing nicely with a few well formed flowers being really worthy of attention.

Needless to say, getting down to take this picture got me and the tripod pretty wet and muddy.