RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Anytime on 29 or 30 January 2011 you are asked to spend just one hour recording the birdlife in your garden, your local park, wherever you happen to be.

All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of the handy bird ID sheet), and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden on either Saturday 29, or Sunday 30 January 2011. From past experience you get more birds early in the morning, rather than in the afternoon, so if you can bear to get up early you will probably find it more rewarding, there is nothing quite as boring as gazing into your own garden for an hour with nothing to record. I will be up with the sun on Sunday to see what this year's count will be, I have already ensured that there is lots of food out ready to tempt the local feathered visitors, putting it out today means they will know that it is there tomorrow.

Then simply record the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, and come back to this page to tell the RSPB what you saw.

If you're not too sure what bird you've seen, try the easy to use bird identifier, or have a look on the A-Z of birds pages.

You can also ask questions, and share your tips for a brilliant birdwatch on the RSPB friendly Big Garden Birdwatch community group.

Helping garden birds really is a lot of fun, and couldn't be easier.

From the back of a bus

It's a slightly wet Wednesday night and I have just had a really enjoyable evening with a friend. The choice is to become a mole and dive underground to get home, or jump on a bus and have a look at the City at night. Easy.

This is the, not well photographed, view from the back of the bus. St Paul's is in the far background and is very impressive at close quarters at night; beautifully lit and well worth a look.

A view of the river will be next, then on a train and home.

A good end to a good evening.

The Holidays are nearly over

So here we are on 3 January 2011 and the long break for the Christmas and New Year Holidays is nearly over, and it is back to work tomorrow. The 5.30 am alarm is going to be a bit of a shocker in the morning having got into the habit of waking naturally at about 8.00 am.

Oh well, it is going to be an exciting few months, getting ready for leaving one job, after 20 years, and starting with a new company, that happens to be their largest competitors; a very interesting start to the year. So here goes with both feet!

Happy New Year to one and all

Happy 2011 one and all! Another year has passed into the history books and a new one has begun, and I hope this one brings everyone all they could wish for.

For myself, it is due to bring new employment after 20 years with the same employer, so quite an adventure, only 7 weeks to go before I leave my current employer and then a couple of weeks off before the new adventure begins.

Whilst I am very well aware that it is going to be a bit strange for the first couple of months, it is high time for a change, and such an good opportunity, I am finding the prospect most exciting.

Tax Return, tick!

So yet again I have waited until almost the last minute to do my Tax Return, but it is done and only took me 3 hours this year. I keep meaning to write myself a guide to how to do my Tax Return, every year I forget where some if the allowances go and where you should claim each item, but every year I am just so pleased to have got it done that I just move on to the next thing on the list of things that I actually want to do. I really must think about doing my Return earlier next year, maybe in April or May!

But it is done and now I shall get on with enjoying my Christmas holiday and recovering from Flu, much better use of my time I think.

And so this is Christmas! Well Eve anyway.

Santa has arrived with us today, a little early, but he says he needs to get a head start as there is so much to do these days, and the snow has really not helped with the transport of toys and other gifts. Apparently any delays caused to air, rail and road travel are nothing to a stroppy reindeer that has cold feet! After all, we all know what happened to Rudolph's nose, and I am told that toes are just as susceptible to the cold and wind.

 

So how long will it last?

The snow fell in a couple of hours on Saturday morning, a good 6 inches in two hours - quite a thing to see.

I took this photo last night and it looks the same tonight, the temperature did not get above freezing all day so I start to wonder how long we will keep the snow for. I do not remember anything like this before. And the forecast, currently more is expected.

So how long will it last?