In the Snow

This cold snowy spell is bringing the wildlife nearer to our homes as animals and birds search for food to survive. We’ve had deer footprints in the snow in our front garden and have now got a much chomped shrub in front of our window. It saves us pruning!

This morning I saw a pied wagtail in my garden for the first time. It has come in search of food with the ground being so frozen elsewhere. I read that they normally eat insects but in winter some people put meal worms out for them to it. I don’t put out meal worms but this one has been taking some cheese crumbs which I’ll continue to put out for it.

This song thrush is a regular visitor and I look forward to hearing its song belted out from the top of a tree before long.

I’ve already heard the blackbird warming up with a few melodic phrases at sunset time. It will start to sing more fully in March.

And here is the ubiquitous robin posing for next year’s Christmas card?

When I stopped to take this photo a couple nearby asked me, “That surely can’t be a penguin, can it? ” It does look a bit like one with its front looking even whiter in the sunlight, but no it’s a cormorant, quite common by our rivers and lochs.

These hares have come down off the snowy hill for a bit more shelter and warmth. The snow has been very deep up in the Campsies lately. Here’s one haring off.

I was lucky enough to see a white stoat streak across the track in front of me on a recent walk. Stoats turn white for the winter and thankfully have been able to make the most of their camouflage this winter. Of course it was far to fast for me to catch it on camera, however I did photograph its tracks in the snow.

Unlike white stoats tiny wee brown mice show up against the snow. We’ve seen them next to a stone cairn at the very top of the hill. When the snow gets compacted and turns to ice they are forced to cross ice patches to reach their snow covered grassy tunnels. I saw one disappear into this hole. I’m still not fast enough to get a photo of one.

I’ll continue to put food out to the garden birds every day. We have six starlings who come for their breakfast. They whistle to each other as soon as the bread crumbs get put out for them. They may look like drab black birds from a distance but up close they have lovely speckles against iridescent green and purple.

Finally a wee wren whom I couldn’t quite catch on the snow. Despite spending most of their time on the ground this one evaded me and I had to settle for a wee photo of it on a tree branch.