Signs of Spring!?! (2)

Today is the Winter Solstice, viewed by some as the start of winter, by me as the turning of the year, with longer days to look forward to. It is NOT normally the date on which blackheaded gulls show off their newly moulted black heads to the girlies, but there was one such on the roof opposite this morning. Through the eyeglass it still looked a bit sparse, actually, but definitely all over his head, not just the usual winter spots.

New (to my garden) birds on the red jasmine this morning - either marsh tits or willow tits, I can't tell the difference. Two of them and I watched them for half an hour or so, exploring everywhere. Of course, it doesn't lose its leaves very much, so it's one of the bushiest bushes around at the moment. There are lots of sparrows, of course, up to a dozen at a time again, and they seem to be roosting in the escallonia where they have their nesting colony; I do hope they aren't planning on nesting already! Also this morning at the feeders I have had a coal tit (on seeds, not peanuts) two collared doves who landed on the feeder, had a look round and went away again, and Christmas Dinner, the crumb addicted wood pigeon. Tomorrow I shall substitute sage and onion stuffing mix for the breadcrumbs, and on Wednesday glue, ready for the pot!

One of things I wonder about is the fat balls. I have never seen any bird, of any species, eating them, although they are gradually going down, and there are little beak marks in evidence. I only put them up about three weeks ago, in a proper fat ball feeder cage. I did see sparrows vainly trying to hover and peck (not having the sense or the ability, perhaps, to cling on to the wire of the cage), so I have fixed a piece of twig across the bottom to make perches. This was about four days ago, but I've yet to see any evidence that they are being used. One sparrow likes peanuts and often goes to the peanut feeder, but sits on the perch at the bottom. Another odd thing is that when I look at varieties of bird seed not one is intended for sparrows, but that's what I've got, pretty well, so that's what I shall cater for.