Winter thrushes and Winter work at the Old Vicarage

Been a busy few days at the Old Vic with a couple of days of tree work, putting up some new bird boxes, feeders and a bug hotel, a bit of moth catching when the night temperatures have been above 10 degrees C  and it's been pretty busy on the bird feeders and with garden birds. 

I did a 2021 mini moth report for the local moth blog HERE. 427 moth species of nearly 7000 individuals  in total. 

The Cotoneaster in the front garden continues to be a Thrush mecca with over 30 Redwings, 10-15 Blackbirds and a few Fieldfares slowly stripping the tree

Adult Male Blackbird 

Fieldfare

The partially leucistic Redwing is still around 

First-winter male Blackbird 

Another Redwing 

Female Blackbird 

And another Redwing 

The new feeders are beginning to take off, today there were Siskin (above), six Greenfinches, 6 Chaffinch, Blue Tits, Coal Tit, Great Tits, up to 27 Goldfinch (in the garden), Starlings and the odd Woodpigeon and Jackdaw. The Siskins and Goldfinches are largely ignoring the Niger and going for the Sunflower hearts. Also had Great Black-backed Gull go over, Cormorant, Mute Swan and Raven, Sparrowhawk and Redpoll in the garden too. 

Red Kite today at Green Dragon Eco-park 

December moths last week. Also been Winter moths and a Light Brown Apple Moth. 

The new bug hotel

Old Vic Tree work- Nathan took down the Ash that blew over on my van a few weeks ago and we also dead wooded and thinned out the large Walnut (below)

We've got some winter crops growing in the garden including Broad Beans, Onions, Garlic and there are still Cabbage, Kale, Beetroot, Potatoes and Parsley to harvest (not killed by frost yet) 

We got through a load of Pumpkins this weekend- prepping them as a puree for cakes and puddings etc Holly made some Pumpkin bread.

The Mini-farm in winter- we've got this working all year round now . Bryan has rented out the coach house (in the pic background) to the local pub, so we now have the lovely Isabela (the pub cook) living with us too . This really is a hippy  commune -there’s seven humans now.