Preparing for the weekend...

It's been a cold, grey, decidedly dismal January day, and I have to admit that I've only left the house to convey Alex to and from Wansford Pasture, where he was helping the Wildlife Trust remove some old fencing. 

This is my only image today, but shows one of the garden blue tits making use of a suet feeder  bought to replace one that was stolen by the local fox. Since the cold weather arrived we've been feeding the birds more conscientiously, and have seen a significant increase in numbers, particularly of blackbirds, chaffinches and blue tits. 

I'm hoping that they'll stay around for the Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place this coming weekend. We've done this for years, and it's always fascinating to see just who's visiting the garden, as well as contributing to a valuable pool of data. The RSPB are trying to make this year's count the biggest yet, so try and find an hour on Saturday or Sunday when you can sit down for an hour with a cuppa  and record your own garden birds.