Double Trouble

The Grey Squirrels are once again rampant in the park. 4 today eating everything in sight and not a bit bothered by human presence. They are sooooo short-sighted. It's a shame there are no Red Squirrels in the park. I wonder of YSP would support a captive breeding programme as other areas of the UK have done. Perhaps there are not enough conifers to support the reds as their digestion cannot cope with the tannins in acorns and such foods as well as the greys can.

The pair of adult swans that raised 5 young last year have succeeded in evicting two of their brood. The male is constantly chasing the youngsters who don't seem to understand why dad is always after them. He is using a huge amount of energy up.

The Goosander are becoming more confiding as the winter wears on. The robins are loving the suet pieces and peanut butter left out for them.

In the Bleak

Brrrrr! Everything frozen.... again. At least the sun came out for once.

Plants in the freezer

This Dunnock lives life in the shadows, always picking up little titbits dropped by other birds. From a distance it looks a drab grey/brown, but up close and personal, it's amazing what details the plumage holds.

This cold weather has given me many opportunities for photography. This Burdock seed head looked great in the macro lens. Nature really does make the best sculptures!

A pair of very excitable Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been filling up at the feeding station. This scruffy male can eat for England. The upper lake in mostly frozen now and Siskin are beginning to use the feeders now the weather is so cold.

Eyes Bigger than Tummy

The local Nuthatches are stocking up for the hard times ahead. A pair were storing peanuts for over an hour today!

A Windy Day

Ran the gauntlet of the Oak trees in the park today. I need a hard hat to protect me from the huge number of acorns coming down. It's a time of plenty for the birds and animals at the moment with sweet chestnuts and beech mast in abundance.

The adult male swan has begun chasing off the cygnets already and the resident Cormorant seems to be finding plenty of fish in the upper lake.

There were 11 Goosander on the lakes today, with only one juvenile male. They were very flighty and I could not get near enough for a picture. Perhaps when they have settled into their winter quarters.