Setting up the Winter Feeding Station.

The wood is quiet and drab at this time of year especially on the dark, dull days of my visits. Although the first snowdrops are just coming into flower in our local Churchyard, up here on the Wolds, where it is always a few degrees colder, there are still no signs of flowering, just the first shoots emerging from the dry leaf litter on the woodland floor. The highlight in the wood, though, in the dank, grey light of January is one group of plants that vibrates with a soft, vivid green. Not so noticeable against the greens of spring and summer, in deepest winter mosses glow gently, demanding our attention. In the feeding station wood most mosses present are common feather moss and this coats the dead fallen and felled trees with a vibrant green carpet. In the hotter temperatures of summer, mosses tend to desiccate and appear to be totally dried up, but now they are rehydrated, lush and luxurious adding a splash of colour to the winter wood. 

Despite the awful wet weather of late, double the amount of rainfall of the 10 year average in December, the wood was relatively dry and I had no need of my wellies. Apart from the mosses I found some coral spot fungus and a patch of jelly ear fungus. On my second visit to top up the feeders, I sat in the hide for a while to see what birds were coming down. All the usual species of tits were there along with a nuthatch, wren, robin and chaffinch. A buzzard drifted overhead; I love to hear the wild, plaintive mewing as it soars over the wood and meadow. Jackdaws were calling , as were rooks at their nests, a sure sign of approaching spring.