Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens in the Snow

We've already had two power cuts today one lasting a couple of hours so I am keeping my fingers crossed I can get this posting finished! Have stocked up on candles and nightlights in case we get another one tonight! Although at least a power cut would prevent me watching the Liverpool Villa game which I am dreading - I only hope Villa can at least get a point from this match otherwise we could enter the "relegation zone" this weekend.

I'm sure everyone is fed up of photos of snow and I am conscious I have done an awful lot of postings on Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens and I wasn't planning on visiting the Gardens again until nearer Christmas. However, I just couldn't resist the temptation on Friday to visit and get some snowy photos. It was really cold - about -2 - but the gardens looked really magical and, apart from bumping into two gardeners when I arrived, there wasn't another person in sight.

I saw a lot of blackbirds feeding on apples and berries together with 3 mistle thrushes. There was a party of long-tailed tits foraging amongst shrubs and trees, dunnocks,a wren, robins and a flock of twenty+ redwings flying over. You won't be surprised to hear though that there wasn't a fieldfare or waxwing to be seen!

I am hearing a lot more reports of waxwings in the region now and I am keeping my fingers crossed it won't be too long before I eventually catch up with this species! I hope so because I am beginning to think I will soon be the only birder in the country not to have seen one!



























There were lots of blackbirds feeding on holly berries along this holly walk which runs between the Green House and Summer House