Don't Shut That Door

Only a little scattering of snow overnight but it's making up for it now as bursts of heavy snow move in from the North Sea. Every so often Bobby took a tour of the garden and had a quick burst of energy dashing through the snow. After a while he decided enough is enough and came hurtling back indoors. It's a good job I am ready to open the door as he would never be able to stop on the packed snow and ice outside the back door.



Yesterday Lincolnshire ground to a halt as the drifting deep fine snow on the fields covered the roads as soon as the snow ploughs cleared them. Even the postal delivery didn't materialise.

Weather condition are so unusually bad that the Lincoln Christmas Market has been cancelled. The first time that has happened since it started about 28 years ago. Normally 100,000 people visit the Christmas Market and the authorities decided that road conditions were so bad, with no sign of immediate improvement, that it was too dangerous for all concerned.

Temperatures have hovered around 0C which allows some snow on the shed roof to start melting but the resulting drips of water are turning to icicles.



The first time I have seen any icicles for quite a few years and that one, taken yesterday, is steadily growing..

Strange November, White December

November was a real mixture for temperatures here. The average for the month would be 7C to 10C. The month started about 10 degrees above average and ended about 10 degrees below average. These were the temperatures for November as measured by my weather centre.



December has started with plenty of snow - shades of 1947? - not quite but it is very unusual to have so much snow here at this time of year. My back garden has about 6 inches (15 cm) of snow and my grocery delivery has been cancelled as the road conditions are atrocious. Many think of Lincolnshire as a flat county. Well it is near the coast and in the south of the county but not far from me there are several steep hills and main roads surrounded by open arable land. Even the snow on my roof is blowing about so I can imagine what some of the drifts will be like. On top of that it has started snowing again.

This morning the Great Tit was a bit later again in leaving the nestbox. Here a video of it superimposed on still views of my front and back gardens.



I cleared the snow from the feeders, put out a fresh saucer of water and scattered some seed on top of the snow. It didn't take long for some of the regulars to find it.

Wood pigeon sinking up to its belly in the snow:




A few of the Starlings, too cold to argue:



The only good thing about having snow covered roads through the village - for once traffic is moving well within the speed limit.

Surviving in the Snow

No matter what the weather the birds have to feed. When the snow was falling heavily there was a bigger rush than ever for food.

Chaffinches


Wood Pigeon


Goldfinch


One problem can be keeping a supply of water for the birds to drink. The bird bath freezes over in no time but fortunately the pump and waterfall on the pond have kept working.

After the first lot of snow had all but melted away we had between two and three inches of fresh snowfall yesterday.  This morning it was very soft and slushy in places as the temperature rose above freezing. On this morning's walk we had to quickly move on to someones drive as a gritting lorry went past with its snow plough on the front scattering slush everywhere.

One of my best investments for snowy and icy weather was a set of spikes which fit on shoes or boots.


When I first got them near the end of last Winter (from Amazon UK) I wondered how much use 6 little 4mm bits of tungsten carbide would be. The verdict - fantastic. I have tried to slide my foot on sheet ice and they just stick fast. Body weight is enough for them to get a good grip. Can't creep up on people when wearing these - they really crunch into ice!  Snow, ice or even muddy footpaths - I remain sure footed. They are kept on an old pair of shoes so they are always ready for use.

Macro on Monday - Guess What

For quite a while I thought I was going to get the gold star again this week but with a flash of inspiration Wilma came up trumps when she said it could be pipe tobacco. A well deserved gold star Wilma. My thanks as always to those who were brave enough to put their thoughts in print.

  

Now on to this week's puzzle picture:



Clue: It will never make Centre Court.
No prizes for a correct identification - just a bit of fun.

Definitely a 'Winter Wonderland' here today. Previous snow had melted and just when we thought it would stay clear the next batch arrived. By the middle of the afternoon there was a fresh layer about 4cm deep. You should have seen the sudden rush of small birds to the feeders during the heaviest of the snow fall. The wise Great Tit continues to snuggle up in the nestbox every night.

Tree Sparrows

Now the cold weather has set in the Tree Sparrows have left the field hedgerows and joined up with the House Sparrows in visiting the feeders. They are easily distinguished by their brown heads and white cheeks with a large black spot.





Though we have not had it as cold as some areas of the UK it was more than cold enough last night. This is how the outside temperature has declined over the past week.



Although yesterday only managed a top temperature of 4C it was enough for most of the snow in the village to melt away. What little was left was well and truly frozen hard this morning when we went walkabout. It was -5C at 7 a.m.. According to the latest forecast this cold snap could be with us for another two weeks.

Blooming Snow

For me one of the strangest sights in my back garden this week has been the dwarf standard rose in full bloom covered with a layer of snow. I don't remember it ever blooming this late in the year in the past.



Fortunately, so far, we haven't had a lot of snow but I have no doubt there will be more on the way over the next week.

It would appear many of the visiting Starlings have now arrived to join the residents. Certainly the numbers visiting my feeders has suddenly increased. As always they spend more time squabbling than they do eating and the smaller birds have to find a gap when it is safe to fly in for a quick bite to eat.







 There are three male Chaffinches which usually visit at the same time. It is fascinating watching their antics as they try not to invade each others space. Occasionally there will be a short chase but most of the time they manage to avoid contact with each other.

Friday at the Flicks - Nestbox Shuffle

Just the one video clip this week.

In the past I have seen Blue Tits perform the 'nestbox shuffle' where they spread their wings and lie flat in the bottom of the box, usually pushing into one corner. This has always been a short while before nesting starts. To my surprise I saw the Great Tit do exactly the same thing even though it is November and a long way to the nesting season.



I am please to say that the Great Tit continues to use the box as a roost every night - must be about three weeks now - and occasionally pops in during the day.

Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you and if you have snow and ice take care out there. This morning was the first time since last winter I wore my snow spikes. The spikes may only be about 4mm long but it is very reassuring to hear the crunch as they bite in the frozen covering on the local footpaths.