Today is a day for sitting in the house and looking out of the window. This was the conservatory at 8am today, minus 1 inside, -5 outside, and the windows were frosted up. Serves me right for closing it up this week to save heating it. But at least I managed to get some wildlife in the shot (blackbird, seen through door).
As the day progressed the usual suspects came into the garden, more Blackbirds, Robin, House Sparrows and Chaffinches a plenty, a Blackcap and half an hour ago 7 Long Tail Tit, which are now becoming regular visitors in this cold spell. I'll miss this weather when the wet and windy forecast for later in the weekend arrives.
So after breakfast, did a tally of the bird species seen in 2008. Which took a lot longer than planned as I'm absolutely rubbish at keeping lists, so had to re-count a few times. But the total for 2008 is 163 UK species sightings. Not very good really considering I'm out and about a lot, but in the summer I do tend to stop birdwatching completely between June and October.
I know a lot of people like year lists to look back upon, but I don't think I'll keep a year list anymore, sort of lost interest in it mid year, seemed bit too much like hard work, making notes in the field then having to come home and write it all up properly from the field notes. This year too I want to look at other wildlife, and go back to my first love Mustelids, as I didn't see an Otter all year.
If any of you have any good Mustelid (Otter, Badger, Stoat, Weasel etc) hot spots in the South West, I'd like to know. And I've never ever seen a Pine Marten..... so this is my Number 1 must see animal this year, so expect to see a tubby bearded bloke puffing up a hill in Scotland soon with a jar of fruit conserve, peanut butter and pheromone spray, and no I don't mean Bill Oddie.
