January 16th - first snowdrops through outside 'Tudor Lee', joining the hellebores ( Christmas roses and green) , the winterflowering honeysuckle and mahonia ( Charity, I think).Hard frosts knocked the Christmas roses to the ground each morning, but left them undeterred and blooming prolifically. They were out, unusually, for Christmas. The snowdrops are 3 days earlier than their usual date of January 19th.
From the vantage point of the office in the farmhouse, we were fascinated to see a snipe speed walking and probing the orchard between Lee and 'Orchard Lee'. What a length of beak!
The old orchard supports varied bird life, giving us much pleasure - and wasting lots of time - as we watch little owls, kestrels and sparrow hawks, all also watching the ground below.
Last week, visitors saw our much loved barn owl on 2 consecutive days. Hopefully, the hard weather hasn't killed off too many of the smaller birds and wildlife that are lower down in the raptors' foodchain.
The pheasants who walk past the windows of 'Tudor Lee' each day, have clearly evaded the guns during the shooting season. They haven't much longer to go. No doubt, this summer they will be back to dust bath in our vegetable patch, which is not popular....
For anyone with even a passing interest in birdlife, the Yar Estuary, visible from Jubilee Villa, provides a great spectacle as winter migrants feed there at this time of the year.
There are ravens to be seen off the Needles - www.nationaltrust.org.uk- and at Newtown Nature Reserve, flocks pf waders to delight even those without binoculars.
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