More snow!!

Yesterday afternoon and through the night we had a few centimetres of sleety snow. Later this morning it snowed properly covereing the sleet with a blanket of real snow that built up during the day

Our cat is beginning to get used to snow, having now experienced it on three occasions. She still trys to keep to areas that have no snow as much as possible.

Our daughter's school wa sclosed be cause of the snow so she got to make a snow man with a school friend. Note the pancies in the foreground.

That evening while talking to a friend on the telephone, while looking out the window, a large beautiful fox trotted up the road. By the time I managed to grab my camera it was gone.

Wren

The weather is still very cold and frosty. I watched a wren from the kitchen window foraging for food in the foligae on the side of the hut.

The wren is unmistakable with its rounded body and tail which sticks up behind. It is also very well camouflaged.

The wren also moves in almost a jerky movement, as it searched in the foliage and undeneath the rain gutter.

Green woodpecker

I went to the cemetry in Shoreham to place flowers on my dads grave when I saw a green woodpecker fly in to the cemetry and peck at the grass. (no pic unfortunately)

Walk in the Snow

The snow continued overnight. I measured the snow in the back garden and it was 12 cm deep.

After working thye first part of the morniong (I would have liked to have gone outstraight away) I went for a walk around the village.

The road outside our house. Portslade Old village is a beautiful place, made all the more beautiful by the blanket of snow. There were quite a few birds around, espcially blue and great tits.

Great tits

I carried on walking to Easthill Park which had also be transformed by the snow.

I watched several grey squirrels chasing each other in the snow, scampering up trees and along branches.

As they ran across branches they scattered snow.

Squirrel drey

As I came out of the park I noticed a great spotted woodpecker fly into the park from across the road. I went back in and noticed there was actuially two great spotted woodpeckers.

The woodpeckers moved up the branches, stopping occasionally to peck at the bark. After a few minutes they flew off further into the park and dissapeared into the top of an evergreen.

Snow

A surprising heavy snowfall (for Sussex) this evening.

Winter bees and hoverflies

A nice clear (if cold) sunny day, very welcome after all the rain and gales. A red admiral flew around the garden looking for nectar. Two large bees visited the hebe which is still in flower.

One appeared to be a large buff tailed bumble bee posibly a queen) and a large red tailed bumble bee, which flew off before I could get a close look.

There were also numerous hoveflies also visting the hebe.

Woodpigeon

I'm not really a fan of woodpigeons, mainly because they they eat all the food that I put out for other smaller birds. However, this particular woodpigeon has been doing a great job in the garden eating all the acorns from the neigbours tree (not sure what species its not a traditional oak tree).

Anyway, come spring the acorns sprout everywhere - the early leaves are a bit like holly. Really hard to get rid of. If I left them we would be living in a firest by now!