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Garden tits and fat balls. No, I'm not about to start writing top shelf, plain brown envelope stuff, just about birds and bird feeders. I had the most horrible experience a couple of days ago, with a great tit and a fat ball. It had me in tears, so

While most people will be thinking about the festivities, I have other things on my mind. I'm finding myself worrying even more than usual about feeding the birds.I was brought up to love wild birds and to try to look after them. This includes

Once again Christmas is over and the house seems even more full than before (as do our tummies!) but it's been a good few days. The hens had a great time with all their kitchen scraps, but it's the wild birds I especially enjoy watching at this time

the discomfort).But if I'm still cold beneath so many layers, I shudder to think how the poor birds must be faring. Their tiny, almost flesh-free legs must be frozen. I do what I can for them, and my bird table is currently laden with large quantities of crushed

It's been a good year for many crops, but there have been so many critters feeding on the fruit.Most years we lose a fair few apples to the local birds. I never really mind, although it is irritating when they peck small holes in fruits, which

is generally the case with autumn lawn care) looked considerably worse than it did before we started.But at least the disaster zone is now level and the words ' has potential' is uppermost in my mind. I just hope the local bird population is not now feeding

and particularly lovely feathered critters we try to provide a habitat for. I've heard the argument that it's not that sparrowhawk numbers are on the increase, but that they're simply following their food, so as the smaller birds become more numerous in gardens

they produce. You get huge height, fabulous, huge flowers and then a mathematically desirable fibbonacci series display of sunflower seeds that will now be enjoyed by wild birds for weeks to come. Many of the seeds have already been eaten by my daughter

birds eating the berries is to wrap them in fine netting. I've been out covertly covering berry-laden holly branches in my local area, so if you've seen a well-wrapped figure in Hampshire, with hat pulled down low, wrapping the odd holly branch

. The remaining flattened daffodils on the drive are starting to right themselves. Sadly, my Iris reticulata have not fared so well and are still horizontal. The bird table, with its adornments of fat-ball dispensers, peanut feeders and household scraps hit