Garden Bird Count

Despite the recent daily appearance of siskins to add to the charming goldfinches only one goldfinch turned up in the allocated hour for the  Great British Garden Birdwatch.  The explanation is that Storm Malik visited Edinburgh on Saturday night and I did the watch on Sunday.  But later in the day I spotted another possible reason: the sparrowhawk which is nearly as big as the sunflower seed feeder it is staking out. If this has been hanging around for the last few days it will have scared off the regulars!

 Aside from the one goldfinch  I did see 2 bullfinches, robins, blackbirds, coal tits, Jackdaws, pigeons, solitary great tit, wood pigeon, magpie and 8 house sparrows.

New Year Cheer

 January flowers are such a rare thing. Thank goodness for the witch hazel

Winter Flowering Cherry

and Winter Jasmine

The bulbs are sprouting green leaves but not even the snowdrop will manage to put in an appearance before January is out.

And on the subject of bulbs I have this week planted 3 rows of garlic at the allotment (to add to the autumn sown ones).  Back indoors I have sown 32 broad beans into deep root trainers.  These will go into the greenhouse once they emerge and on to the allotment in due course.  Yes spring is just around the corner.  Next week will be busy now that I have looked out my seeds for early sowing! (Leeks, onions, shallots, tomatoes and chilli, as well as lobelia .