The thaw continues

It's raining here now as the big thaw continues, but I kinda miss the snow, everything looks a bit dull now, what snow remains has turned into a grey-brown colour or is piled up in huge mountains in supermarket car parks - I wonder how long they will last?

The thaw is good for the birds though, if the cold snap (can we still call it a snap after nearly half a month?) had prolonged, a lot of birds unable to move would have succumbed, as the Boulmer Birder points out in his latest post it will already be too late for many. Alan Tilmouth has mobilised the NTBC and launched Bird Aid - a supplementary feeding project for hard-pressed farmland birds, I hope to be able to find a spot to feed the Druridge residents.

This cold winter, if it continues, may delay my predicted arrival of Cetti's warbler to Northumberland as breeding species in the next five years, will have to think again on that one.

We've just booked our next birding trip...to Fuertaventura in February, hopefully to add houbara bustard and Fuertaventura stonechat to my Western Pally list as well as seeing lots of other nice desert species and escaping the British winter for a week. February is safe time to be away from the patch as it is unlikely anything mega will turn up.

Back to reality...I'll call by Druridge in the morning on my way to the office and check that ring-feeder for buntings.