Another snow day

Just as I was bemoaning the lack of anything blogworthy and the fact I’d not yet written anything in the new year, another pile of snow came to town. Not as much as before, but enough to keep Mum off school and my head turned to the window, seriously impeding any progress I may have been trying to make with, well, anything.

I put my big 70-200mm f2.8 lens onto the camera and stood by the window to photograph the birds that came to feed – a handy side effect being that I could warm my freezing legs against the radiator at the same time. There’s a coconut half, filled with my lard and seed mixture, hanging from the laburnum outside my office window, as well as a seed feeder.

The pretty robin was more suited to the coconut, scrambling somewhat at the seed feeder, but ultimately managing to grab a seed to munch.

The sparrows are much more able at the feeder and a whole crowd of them often queue up on the branches of the tree. Either waiting patiently, or divebombing whoever’s currently in their way, depending on their level of hunger, I suppose.

Unable to think of a better retort, this sparrow simply resorts to sticking his tongue out at his mate.

This chaffinch – in need of a comb – was another regular visitor in the cold today, clearing up the seeds on the ground that the picky sparrows throw disdainfully out of the feeder.

And then there’s the blue tit. There are two of them who bounce around the laburnum, picking up invisible insects from the branches, swinging from the coconut as they feed and taking seeds from the feeder. But mostly they just flit from branch to branch so damn fast that you haven’t got much of a hope of focussing on them before they disappear from your viewfinder again.

7 Days: Day 2 – Treat

Making treats for the birds out of melted lard, chopped up lamb and fat, mixed together with a big bunch of bird seed. The ordinary bird feeders have been refilled and when the coconut half and fir cones full of the lardy seed mixture have hardened, the birds can have those to peck at too in this cold weather.

7 Days: Day 1 – Snowy night

The return of 7 Days and I started this run in the dark, in the early minutes of the first day. My goodness it was cold out there. Though it had melted a bit during the day, the snow on the lawn was still very deep to plod through. And while stationing the camera need the garage the wind had the courtesy to only blow one lump of snow off the roof and onto my head. But ain’t it all pretty out there?

Six inches

All that staring out of the window yesterday worked and after some snow and even a bit of lightning in the evening, the weather gods got to work overnight and dumped six inches of snow over our house. Tree boughs and shrubs were bent under the weight of the snow, the kerria bent double, completely blocking the path to my vegetable patch.

I wish you all lived next door to me right now, as this is the best snow for snowballs I’ve ever felt. It sticks together, but doesn’t compact down to nothing. The few balls I’ve flung at the fence from the doorway have flown beautifully. Maybe I should go out there and just pelt myself with snow so as not to waste it.

[Photo set]

Snow from Hampshire to Kent

I didn’t get much snow yesterday, so it helps to have a cameraman and video editor for a brother, who can so beautifully share what he has with me across the internet.

Hoping for some more snow of my own tonight though. All that Christmas shopping I have yet to do can wait, right?

7 Days: Day 5 – Rainy Night

A dark and rainy night, so I thought I’d make like Marlene Dietrich and walk around with a lamp post attached to my mac.

7 Days: Day 3 – Raining

It’s been raining all morning, though the sky has brightened considerably since I came downstairs. Feeling better today, I’m pleased to say. Yesterday I didn’t watch an episode of Prison Break with my lunch as usual, as I didn’t think I could cope with all the drama. I think I might survive it ok today though. Just don’t tell me what happens, ’cause I’m only on series 1!