Banburyshire: freeze and thaw

Male Brambling, back garden

The past week has seen one of the coldest spells of winter weather for a long time.  Snow arrived on Thursday and Friday when Storm Emma came up against the bitterly cold air mass of arctic origin.  The strong easterly winds created some spectacular swirling snow drifts on the leeward side of hedgerows.

6 foot snow drift on Fox Hill above Upper Wardington

Swirling snow drift, cream coloured due to the particles of soil which got swept up from the fields and mixed into the snow

A huge drift nearly blocked this kissing gate

Many birds found refuge from the freeze in our back garden, the highlight being a stunning apricot-plumaged male Brambling, as well as a less conspicuous female, and a Stock Dove (common around the edge of the village, but rarely seen in the garden).  A Song Thrush made numerous attempts to feed with the other birds but was always quickly chased off by the blackbirds.  A single Redwing made a brief visit before it too was chased off.  It was also interesting to watch a woodpigeon drinking at the edge of the pond, pushing deep into the snow to find a source of water.

the female Brambling mastered the sunflower seed feeder

The male Brambling stayed on the ground, feeding here with female Chaffinches and a House Sparrow

Stock Dove

Robin

Woodpigeon drinking from edge of the pond

Somehow the Woodpigeon found water and gulped it down

Tree Sparrows joined the House Sparrows for a while

The Song Thrush that got continually chased off!

Dunnock next to Rosemary bush

Today there was a remarkably rapid thaw as temperatures rose well above freezing, but still some of our local lanes were impassable for 2WD cars.

minor road from Wardington to Chacombe

 This male Blackbird took advantage of the thaw and chose a local pothole a wash

By the afternoon, spring seemed to have returned: Skylarks were singing and Brown Hares were chasing each other around the fields on the edge of Wardington.