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have pointed out, snow does make birds all the more obvious. When I peered out later in the day, the apple tree was bending under the burden of several plump … birds. They were silhouetted against the morning light so not immediately identifiable

've no idea what variety the apple tree is. It was in the garden when we arrived at our house, 12 years ago, the legacy of a previous owner, whose only other contributions to horticultural delight were chain-link fences and concrete.I do, however, use

oblivious of the loud whizzes and bangs that keep the cats huddled in a dark corner indoors somewhere. But the cats have cottoned on to this and the moment the explosions stopped, 10.13 in East Dulwich, the black one was out of the cat flap like a shot

the garden. It was very low, only just clearing the apple tree. This may have had something to do with the large pigeon it was clutching in its talons. It flew, rather laboriously I thought, down over the gardens to the short row of tall trees that bound

. Brilliant.There are four of them, and they do the airborne equivalent of scurrying about, spending a few moments examining the rather twisted apple tree and the lichen-coated pear tree, before bouncing down to the feeders and fat balls to practice

A bit of garden clearance in the rain is always therapeutic. Working off a good lunch and feeling the drip of water down my neck, I feel my endeavours are all the more noble. Actually all I'm doing is ripping the vine out of the apple tree it's been

there, chattering loudly in the apple tree, was old black and white, cocking its head first one way, then the other.I was really chuffed. Not about having the bird in the garden, but about the boy correctly identifying it. I congratulated him on his

into the apple tree, but only a minute or two later and it was back. It then started to peck around the handrail and the iron mesh. It spent some time clawing its way up and down the metalwork, and was definitely intent on getting at something.Eventually it flew

of decking near the apple tree, before ambling noisily off through the branches and away. This was the second time this week they were here. Maybe they're nesting nearby.I hear jays more often than I see them, and their angry scrawking call often echoes

, the feather or flower balls swung on strings by Polynesian dancers. For nearly three minutes, they circled round and round each other, always keeping about 10-15 cm apart, as if they were connected by some invisible, but unbreakable, thread.It's difficult