Friday 9 February 2018

Winter Flowers and Bird Watching

I think winter flowers are more precious than any others. Aconites and snowdrops are pretty but tiny but Hellebores must be the best. We seem to have 4 different ones here.
                                                          White with pink middles


Completely white

                                             
                         White with purple flecks and green centres, these are not quite open yet



              And my favourites, the earliest and tallest - shades of purple, dark in the buds and lighter the longer they are open



I expect these are all have proper Latin names but I don't know them.

With so many clumps of flowers I was able to bring a few in to enjoy in close up, which was a mistake that I should have foreseen - flowers that can stand up to minus temperatures are obviously not going to last long indoors - two days and they had keeled over.

 Of course one of the good things about the Christmas or Lenten Rose is that as it's leaves are evergreen you always know where they are when weeding the garden and I've got a lot of clearing to do as soon as the weather warms a bit. We had our coldest night of the winter here on Wednesday night, after waking to the most snow we'd had in the morning..........although only half an inch!!.

Compared to the showiness of the Hellebores poor Primroses look quite pathetic when there is just one little plant but it won't be long before they will be out everywhere and make more of a display.

Colin did the RSPB Big Garden Bird watch and saw all the normal visitors to the feeders and the ground beneath..............
Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tail Tits, Coal Tits, Goldfinches, Robins, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Hedge Sparrows, House Sparrows, Wrens, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Pheasant,  Dunnocks, Starlings and Blackbirds.
It was only a few days later that we also had a visit from a pair of Greenfinches and best of all.......a Yellowhammer.
The squirrel has been back once or twice but since I repaired the big feeder....above.... with a flower arranging Oasis holder on the base, (fixed on by heating a tent peg over the gas and going through plastic and wire on each side) and a plastic tub over the top, he hasn't been able to get into the feeder. Ha! Mr Squirrel !
( Col had sent for a squirrel-proof feeder but, luckily as it turned out,  it didn't arrive and were refunded by the ebay seller. So mending the feeder and failure by seller saved £7)

Welcome to a new follower - I'll soon be up to 300 at this rate. Thank you to everyone for comments, hints and tips on various things.

BackTomorrow
Sue



                                                                            

33 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I do too until they demolished two peanut feeders!

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  2. Such beautiful winter flowers. They cheer things up so much, don't they!
    J x

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  3. I shall pass on that squirrel-thwarting tip!

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  4. You could make your own squirrel proof feeder by enclosing the bird feeder in 2 wire hanging baskets, it will also keep the larger birds off as they can't get through the gaps in the basket.

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    1. I would have to buy 2 wire baskets though

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    2. Something to add to your carboot list ! Or £1 each- in pound shop. Still a lot cheaper than a ready made one

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  5. I nearly succumbed to picking some of the hellebores but thankfully didn't if 2 days is all you get! x

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  6. We enjoy seeing squirrels in our garden, we have a peanut feeder for them, they do not eat the other birds foods we put out unless their feeder is empty.

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  7. I love the winter/spring flowers and have had some hellebores in flower on my front step for 6 weeks now. I have heard it said that if you float the heads in water they will last longer I have not tried it. I do hope you are both keeping well and Colin is not overdoing it. Hazel c uk

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  8. I love squirrels but hardly ever see them here in the 'burbs. My pet hate are pigeons. They nick the bird food, frighten the blackbirds and make a mess of the bird table, stupid ugly things;

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    1. Huge flocks of pigeons on all the oil seed rape fields around, they pick up the fallen food under the feeders

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  9. Never seen a Yellowhammer tat was lucky, not many Greenfinches around now they are in decline, we get a couple.

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    1. We used to see lots of greenfinches at the smallholding 20+ years ago but as you say they are in decline but more goldfinches here instead

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  10. Lovely winter flowers, so nice when a splash of colour appears xcx

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    1. I'm looking forward to the tulips I planted in the cut flower garden

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  11. The Bullfinches love the Buddlea heads don't they, I have a pair visiting.

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  12. I never did like the squirrels either!!! Hooray for you, being able to foil them!!!! :-)

    I 'Follow' blogs, on my own private blog, where I install the Blogger Gadget, to do so. But I don't show up, on anyone's Followers List. But I am following. :-) So, whatever your number is... Add one more.

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    Replies
    1. I've notice the squirrel is starting to bite the plastic so we may still need a squirrel proof feeder

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  13. No squirrels on our feeders, but plenty of birds - they come and go so quickly it's difficult to count them, so well done to Col on his Count.

    What a shame the Yellowhammer (I NEVER see one round here) and the Greenfinches were late to the party.

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    1. Col guesstimated how many sparrows he saw at one time as they pop in and out of the hedge. Just a glimpse of the yellowhammer sitting on the hedge before it went down out of site

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  14. Your flowers are beautiful. I don't do the garden bird watch anymore as although I usually get loads of different birds, as soon as I sit to do the watch not a single bird except maybe the odd pigeon turns up.

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  15. Hellebores - just about my favourite flower this time of the year.

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    Replies
    1. Te purple ones have been flowering for several weeks now -such a treat to see when it's so cold

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  16. My garden is buried deep in snow again. Sigh. I am so glad I put up the birdfeeders though. It was great watching them come to feed today when the snow was falling like crazy. I'm going to post a couple of photos on my blog. I even put on my boots and stood out on the back porch to take the photos hoping I didn't scare them off lol

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  17. I don't have any flowers in my garden at this time of year. I've enjoyed seeing yours. X

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