A much colder start this morning than I was expecting, with a heavy frost in places, though not everywhere - Shrewsbury seemed to have had a frost-free night. On a frosty morning, wildlife is easier to see, things are bolder: at one point on my way in to work I had to slow quite markedly in order to allow a collared dove time to take off from the roadway. Driving out and about today, I had several good views of buzzards; from a bird one saw only now and then, and usually at a distance, these are now common and everyday, maybe perched on a hedge right by the road.
The day was for the most part sunny and pleasant, though never warm. Snowdrops are well in flower, and our daffodils at home are nicely in bud. Though we don't get the great murmurations in these parts that can be seen elsewhere, it was nice to see a good number of starlings feeding together in the fields near Four Crosses, and rising to gather in two trees right by the road. For some reason, we never get starlings in our garden, having to be content with occasional birds passing by. This winter I haven't seen as many fieldfares and redwings as usual, though this may just reflect the fact that I've done less winter walking than maybe I do most years.
No comments:
Post a Comment