New Year rainbows, soggy walks. and counting birds.

I am feeling a little “under the weather” so I’m not getting much gardening done. According to the RSPB this is the best time to cut back trees or trim hedges before the mating season, which tends to start in February, so I really am eager to start. After such a turbulent start to the New Year, you’d think the birds would be quite wet enough  but this week both the male and female Blackbirds were splish-splashing in the tinfoil bath in the back garden and today a Starling was going at it like a jet skier in a water filled planter in the front garden. So by the look of it the birds  are already beginning to rouse themselves. There is a little more action also on our bird feeder and on the hedgerows and field nearby. Spotted two Buzzards today, the Starlings were enjoying the stubble on the field earlier in December and this week they have been gathering in quantity on the telephone wires  beside the A39. Last week, after the storm, we took a soggy walk on a debris strewn beach at Instow on the Torridge Estuary then moved on to a seemingly tranquil Fremington Quay where a small cluster of seabirds, an Egret and one lone Curlew were quietly drilling down in the mud. We returned via Bideford and spotted a Murmuration swooping and swirling above Bideford Long Bridge. As light was fading we parked awhile on Brunswick Wharf to enjoy the spectacle. Meanwhile back in my garden the Chaffinch, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Sparrows are constant visitors, Mr. Robin is already stating his claim with an occasional song, and the Blue Tits continue to sneak nuts out from under the beaks of our resident Doves which plonk themselves on the feeder. Rainy days have been lit up by rainbows after some short bursts of sunshine. The only down side to this perfect little scenario is a local ginger cat that languishes below the feeder and waits.... What’s the betting that all this action disappears when it’s time for the Big Garden Birdwatch which this year is over the weekend of 25^th and 26th January

A little under the weather and ragged round the edges, just like me

The first rainbow of 2014

Lone Curlew off Fremington Quay

Count the wildlife that's counting on you. Bird populations are a great indicator of the health of the countryside. That's why it's so important to take part in surveys like the Big Garden Birdwatch to keep an eye on the ups and downs of the wildlife where we live.  All you need to do is spend an hour over the weekend of 25-26 January counting the birds in your garden. It's that simple! The more people involved, the more we can learn. So, grab a cuppa and together we can all help to give nature a home. For more info and to register, please visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Click here for Big Garden Birdwatch 2014 Results

• Explore Instow with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour
• Explore Fremington Quay with the North Devon Picture Tour
• Explore Bideford with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour