From magic to mud

The snow is receding from the loch side

but still lingering on the hills.

It is thawing very slowly during the day and freezing hard at night, so we have a lot of muddy ice around.

I have Jeyes fluid ready to clean the whole feeding area but couldn't chip the ice away so will have to wait for better temperatures. It is depressing to look out on though. The birds are hungry and cold. Even the little dunnock has lost its shyness and stands hopping from one cold foot to the other as it waits for its chance by the feeders.

The blue tit, one of my favourite garden residents, is smaller than the dunnock but a lot bolder.

He competes with chaffinches for peanuts but is very versatile and scours my window ledges and eaves for insects.

He scuttles up and down the silver birch, like a tree creeper, picking insects from the bark.

They are favourites because a blue tit couple nested in my bird box this spring. They are the only birds ever to use a box I've put up, so I feel quite proprietary towards them and was a very proud Aunty when the two chicks fledged.

Meanwhile Smudge is snoring, face down on her cushion. I wonder if she's been at the gin. I knew I couldn't have emptied that whole bottle!