White stuff again

Yep, here it comes again. Hail this morning and now fat flakes, as if someone has burst a feather pillow outside the window.

Still wet

Hardly any snow left in the garden although there are still large heaps on the road sides and vast swathes across the moor. The garden is looking very sorry for itself and rather soggy too although I'm sure most things will recover.
We've become a regular stop for a large flock of long tail tits, around a dozen at a time. Our 'tame' blackbird is still asking for food every day.

Green Shoots

The garden is beginning to appear from under its blanket of snow and in the heather bed are the first sprouts from some bulbs, mini-daffodils I think. Spring must nearly here (well, lets pretend).

Rain

Yes, wet stuff, not white (although there was smattering of that too). Now everywhere is sodden and getting very muddy.
Field full of fieldfares, redwing and thrushes.

Ice

After the snow, then the thaw temperatures plummeted over night and we've woken up to vast sheets of very thick black ice. Even the dogs with their inbuilt studded traction (claws) are struggling.
A few siskins today.

Big thaw

continues. The snow has come off roof at the back of the house and the heap outside the kitchen window is over three feet deep.
This morning we've a big family of long tails on the suet feeder.
Yesterday I saw a grey wagtail on the green outside the shops.

Christmas update

We've been offline over the festive break and what a lot happened.
Snow for starters, over two feet and still falling. It started on Thursday 17 December and it has snowed every day.
It's brought a wide range of birds into the garden, all the usuals: chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, blue tit, great tit, a few coal tits, black bird, starling, wood pigeon, collared dove, house sparrow, dunnock etc. Siskins have been noticeable by their absence, we have a regular visitation of three robins but have had up to five at any one time, all carefully watching each other evenly spaced and taking their turn on the feeders. One female black bird has become very tame and quite demanding, as soon as she sees anyone in the kitchen she flies to the window table feeder and looks in. When you open the window she hops across to the washing line and then as soon as the food is down, even before the window is closed she's back and she guards it quite zealously chasing off other black birds but she seems to tolerate the robin.
The tree sparrows have been back occasionally and once or twice the nuthatch. However, we have had daily visits from first one redwing and eventually four individuals all feasting on the cotoneaster berries. There has also been a yellowhammer once or twice and one day a snipe flew across but didn't land, the first time I've seen once actually in the village never mind almost in the garden. The snow has been very deep but I've not seen many mammal tracks, a few small rodents (mice &/or voles probably) in the back garden, no rats thank goodness.
The blue tits have been keeping warm by nesting together in one of the artificial house martin nests under the eaves, I counted over a dozen heading in late one afternoon, I'm sure there were some already in.