From inside the community Nature Notes The winter months can often be drab and dreary, but there are occasions when nature still pops up with an image that gives you a lift. I looked out one December morning and caught sight of the sun’s kiss sparkle on the fleeting frost that had come in the still, silent night and laid its silver coat over the summerhouse roof. The image was soon gone but it stays locked away in my memory now. A couple of days later, this time in the late afternoon, another moment occurred. Again I looked out and this time there was the setting sun refusing to settle down by throwing a final display of colour across our Myland sky and using the clouds to paint us a picture. Readers of these notes will know I have shown a similar photo of the sky. I have quite a collection now and it just goes to show what you can still see, even in an increasingly urbanised setting. The garden looks different now that the leaves have fallen from the deciduous trees and shrubs, however it does enable us to see more of the birds arriving at the feeders or just visiting the garden. The greater spotted woodpeckers have a family and we see both parents and the two juveniles arrive singly from time to time. They come to the apple tree for a moment or two before using the feeder, perhaps to ensure the coast is clear. After feeding and drinking from the bird bath they return to the apple tree, before leaving for their roost. Now that vegetation has died down around the base of the apple tree, I spotted three chaffinches grazing on seeds on the lawn that spilt from another feeder. This was pleasing, as I had not seen these once common finches in the garden for sometime. Perhaps they have been regularly visiting to the same spot, but I had not seen them for too much garden growth? 20
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