If its hard for us this cold weather spare a thought for wildlife

Its been almost a week now since the snow started falling here in Cambridgeshire a place where snow usually lasts a day or so if its lucky, I blame that on all the hot air generated in Cambridge by the way. Its also been over a week since I did any gardening work and earnt any money from that avenue of my working life.

But if its hard for us what is it like for wildlife, snow and ice means food is hard to find and you have to expend a lot of energy to find it. As for open water thats almost impossible unless like I saw the other day at Westwick Park there is a patch that something is keeping open, a spring or? and which the birds were flocking too. I dont doubt Mr Fox is also using it to slake his thirst while he does his carousing to attract a lady. Mind how any lady would find the noise they make attractive is beyond me but I am not a fox.

I know I feed the birds on a daily basis and know a lot of other people do as well. In this weather though I have upped the quantity and the amount I put out as well as spreading it about more in my garden to allow for squabbling Blackbirds and other members of the Thrush family to play out there domestic dramas. They always seem to scare everything else off  thrush or otherwise in there little spats, and spreading it about more works. One of the three males in the pairs using my garden at the moment can be seen below.

I have also got a female Reed Bunting coming in to complement the males I usually get in winter, she is undoubtedly being driven in by the easier pickings, a sign that its tough out there for wildlife as a whole. Then despite all the cold I see a Blue Tit prospecting in a nestbox in next doors garden. So it might be tough out there but the year is slowly moving on and other needs must be considered and addressed.

underground overground di di di di

Nothing to do with Wombles god bless em must be chilly on the common at the moment.

The Sutton Hoo estate just outside Woodbridge which is managed by the National Trust has just got some good news that I for one approve of.

They have just been told that a mile of overhead wires that go through the middle of the site as such is going to be undergrounded.

Might not mean much to most but will add a lot to the visual appearance of the site.

By the way the current exhibit although its worth checking is of the latest replicas/whatever of a lot of the treasures kept at the British Museum, so the lyre, sword and shield as well as clasps and pouch top, they are fantastic.

trip back in time to now

Just had a couple of days away close to the coast in Suffolk another area of this fine country that holds a special place in my heart. Stayed in a lovely little pub the Blaxhall Ship with good food, real fires and friendly staff. Blaxhall is about five miles inland and has a fine common on the seaward side that I can remember visiting when I was agricultural college.

Back then we were told that smugglers used to bring their goods inland from the Alde across the common to the pub for further wider dispersal, as you sat in the pub at night with the fires burning,the bars smelling of wood smoke and alive with customer chatter, with the darknessand snow just outside quietening vehicle movements to whispers you could almost have been back there with the horses being unloaded and men keeping watch. I had only had half a pint as well by then, something very rare for me these days I know, but it was Adnams and that close to Southwold it had to be done.

Did some birding on the way down and both days there, on the Orwell, the Deben and at Minsmere. Peregrines, Marsh Harriers hunting in the falling snow, lots of duck including a Drake Smew and a couple of redheads which brought back memories of working in Ipswich and seeing one in falling snow in the docks.

In the photo above there is a male and female Smew kipping on the edge of the snow and ice. Saw a kingfisher and some nice waders including Snipe and Blacktailed Godwit. The Snipe were so keen to feed especially at Minsmere on the Thursday that they were very close to the hide we sat in, how many can you see in the picture below.

The Godwit feeding on the exposed mud of the Deben a few miles inland on Friday with all the talk of horrendous snowy weather coming a very fresh southeasterly blowing. At the beach in Aldeburgh an hour earlier it was cold enough to cut you despite thermals.

All in all a lovely couple of days away doing nothing in particular and something special at the time, something I never really managed in 2012.

must do your prep

Given the weather these last few days it doesnt seem possible I was in the botanic gardens in cambridge just a few days ago in the dry. Lovely to be back there especially as I was there doing some prep for a twilight storytelling session with some others from cambridge storytellers.

Trumpington Road gates.

Also found an interesting plant label, read it carefully, its a bout the plant gossip which can apparently be fatal.

its the behind the scenes stuff that makes anything good

The things we do eh. Just spent the weekend on a stage managers workshop course.

Why, well I know I am only a storyteller but I reckon that if you are to fully understand any performance you need to know all that went into it and its the behind the scenes bits that often make a performace great.

The course was run by a local theatre group and it was very interesting to see how a show happens. Got me thinking about how anything we see, whether a story, a show whatever is only as good as the sum of the parts.

water words

The other day while out walking I had a good look at the Guided busway stop at Oakington/Westwick.

The rear has what look like glass panels etched with a design and words about water. Given the amount we have laying around at the moment they could not be more accurate and appropriate.

a new year and some old memories

First day of a new year and the sun was shining down to help stave of a bit of the cool breeze. Another lovely day on which to be alive and outdoors getting some fresh air.

Went to St Ives and walked more of the guided busway, again lots of people out doing the same. Just as well the the guided buses were having a day off. 

Some lovely views over land I have walked many times before as a boy. And then the calls of birds to take me back to those times and back to the present. Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall and Golden Plover again. Happy memories of then and now.

Got back to St Ives as dusk was falling but just with enough light to go up to the town centre. I had to take the next picture for Dads sake as we grew up he would say to us, do you know what old Cromwell is pointing at, as you looked balnkly he would position you against the wall in just the right spot on the market place and tell you to look and see.

I hope Oliver will forgive the picture, from the look of things the local lads have been decorating him again.