It rained, then it poured and then it rained some more; and a bird count

OK, this is now officially ridiculous! I emptied the water butt on Tuesday, then again on Saturday and this morning it's once again overflowing.

Just for a little variety yesterday just I was starting the bird count it snowed which certainly affected the bird numbers. This is what we counted:
Blackbird - 1
Blue tit - 1
Brambling - 2
Chaffinch - 17
Coal tit - 1
Dunnock - 2
Great tit - 2
Greenfinch - 3
Robin - 1
Song thrush - 1

A much lower number than at the same of day on any other day during the past week - oh, well.
The wren may have been busy under the herb bed and amongst the pots but then again the little flash of brown could have been the back of the robin or a dunnock so we're not including her this time.
Notable absentees included both sparrows, goldfinches (who were there in great numbers earlier in the day), siskins, starlings and wood pigeon; these all visit daily but just not in the middle of a sleety blizzard apparently - and who can blame them?
Others who stayed away were the collared dove, nuthatch, long tails, the willow tit and our reasonably regular woodpecker.

Frosty morning

After last night's beautiful stars this morning there was a hard frost.









It lasted all day only lifting where the sun was able to warm the ground a little. These were taken at lunch time when the sun came out and made everything sparkle!