Swans at Wrest

Take a cold, crisp and sunny winter's day, decide to wrap up warm and cosy get outside in the fresh air.  We did just that the other Sunday and were richly rewarded as we watched the swans at Wrest Park, an English Heritage property in Bedfordshire. 

There were a pair of swans with their grown cygnets just lazing by the edge of the front lake. We stopped and watched as they rested, cleaned and fluttered their wings against the ice cold wind and part frozen lake. One of the adults was just gliding around gracefully in the water as though it was a hot summer's day!

We carried on down to the moat, it was frozen and that's when we came upon a stunning view - three more cygnets - this time balancing on the finely glazed water. The low winter sunlight was beautiful, just shining through the trees at the right moment and casting a glow over the ice, the swans' reflections on the frozen water making an even more gorgeous sight. 

It was well worth a look out just for that one special moment. 

The pathway to the lake

Gracefully gliding along! 

A close up

Ruffling feathers

Cleaning time! 

Rest time

A surprise find

Dancing on ice! 

Sleepy! 

Cold, cold water

Foraging on the grassy bank 

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 2015

This weekend it was the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch 2015. The RSPB run this activity every year to help them record and monitor trends to understand how different birds and wildlife are faring. It can assist in identifying and helping species that are in danger and the best ways to give nature a home. 

It is a simple activity to take part in and all you need to do is find one hour to just sit and watch the birds and record which species come into your garden. The results can then be submitted via most electronic devices or by form to the RSPB. (See their website below) There is still plenty of time to send in results - they can be submitted up to 16th February. 

It was a lovely morning on Saturday- perfect for watching birds come and go. We watched and counted:

2 bluetits

2 blackbirds

2 magpies

2 wood pigeons

2 robins

4 sparrows

1 great tit.

It was fairly quiet morning and we do often get many other species of birds visiting such as long tail tits, goldfinches, greenfinches, wrens, fieldfares, redwings, woodpeckers, chaffinches and even moorhens and pheasants to name a few, but you can only record what you see in the hour that you watch. 

We have worked hard to try and attract wildlife in our garden and have an assortment of feeders and bird boxes to attract a variety of birds. It is always a pleasure to sit quietly and watch the different birds busily coming and going. I love it in spring when the waterfall on the pond is flowing properly

 -not iced up like it is now - and the birds come for a bath in it's pools all day long. We have a couple of bird baths too and try and ensure there is water out for them to drink, especially in this freezing weather. 

Did you take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, if so what did you spot and what birds come in your garden?

The apple tree plentiful with bird feeders

Sunflower seeds

mixed seeds

A fat feeder - the birds love this one

Bird box ready - blue tits are already looking around it

More mixed seed on the cherry blossom tree

Another fat ball feeder on the blossom tree

Fruit feeder near the conservatory so we can spy who's on it!

Little seed feeder - a favourite for the robins and blackbirds - the pigeons like to mop up the leftovers underneath it too!

Another bird box - hidden on the back of the summerhouse, but viewed nicely from a distance on the top patio

Bird table with a little butterfly house hanging too

Bacon rind, mealy worms and table seed  for dinner today!

Drinking hole amongst the shrubs

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

A Frosty Morning

We've had a few bitter cold days this week and some frosty mornings. I love the garden on a sunny, frosty morning, you see it in a totally different light, plants take on different tones and hues. Their shapes look rigid and solid coated in the ice. Some look like they've been given a new lease of life once more when really they finished their season back long ago in autumn.

Frosty pot

Wildflower leaves with a coating of ice

Icy pond

Verbena looking brand new

Pampas grass - golden against the sky 

Silver palm tree

Watering hole too iced up for the birds

Robin singing behind the icy crab apple tree

Sea shells waiting for summer

White rooftops

Jack Frost has been in the summer house

Pansies hiding underneath the ice

Seed heads - always worth leaving for winter time when they take on a whole new look in the frost

January in the Garden

It's a dismal and cold time of year and a time when many of us don't venture out in the garden. I had a litttle look around ours this week to see what's happening out there and was surprised to see that even at this time of year there were little signs of activity here and there! 

A little area of 'chrysosplenium macrophyllium' was out in full bloom, brightening up a little patch that will be filled with bluebells soon. A member of the saxifrage family and easily mistaken for an elephant ears bergenia, which is also a saxifrage and flowers in January. The new shoots of the bluebells are pushing up all around them.  Their little pink flowers are a welcome sight in the pale January sunshine. 

The foliage from small alpine plants give varying glows of green.

The geums were still in flower - their little orange flowerheads have been out in bloom all year round! 

Assorted heathers around the garden were giving little pockets of colourful interest.

My favourite for this time of year - the delicate yellow blooms of winter jasmine - were brightening up a dismal corner. 

Ivy plants dotted around the garden have turned a lovely mixture of russets and red. 

Winter pots and baskets add a lovely show and are ready to bloom at their best with a bit of sunshine and mild weather. Pansies in a variety of colour always brighten up the patios and front garden.

The bright pink of the bellis perennis shines out amongst the pots and baskets. 

All in all there is still plenty going on out there!