This is an annual count by birders of all ages and standards throughout the UK who submit the records of birds seen in their garden over an hour's period sometime this weekend. We have been submitting counts for over (cough) years now but haven't systematically kept records for all that time, more's the pity.

Last year's numbers were slightly better than the previous few years' data. Unfortunately numbers were not so good this year, with 20 birds of 9 species. For comparison:

2020 2021 2020
species 9 12 9
total 20 29 16

There were 19 species in 2015.

This year:
jackdaw 4
wood pigeon 3
blackbird 2
great tit 2
magpie 2
robin 2
dunnock 2
Carrion crow 2
house sparrow 1

The building work which was started in 2020 continues but there has been relatively little further habitat destruction since last year's count. The view to the trees on the other edge of the field has gone but that doesn't affect garden bird counts. The small birds do seem to be using the bushes to approach the feeders, with queues of blue tits and sparrows seen forming in the bush, hopping closer to the edge before making a dash for the deed mix or whatever.

Still no starlings.

Last week we retuned home to a mass of feathers and a rather satisfied-looking sparrowhawk. No sparrowhawk this morning but a cheeky squirrel was swinging in the wind whilst hanging onto a feeder, legs dangling in mid air as it frantically sought something to grasp.



.

Fair to middling month weather wise. Storms Barra (7 Dec) and Corrie (Dec 27) were associated with a degree of wind but nothing out of the ordinary. In the meantime a long spell of high weather in the middle of the month led to some excellent conditions for winter walking, with lovely low light and cloud inversions.