Survival in the snow

Although I worry about the wildlife in weather such as we've just had, especially the poor kingfishers, everything seems to be coping well round here. Yesterday I took a stroll, well a trudge really, along the Blackwater. The little river was running fast and dark, swollen with snow melt and birds were everywhere. Wrens under the bankside bushes, a large flock of long tailed tits darting around in the trees, and amazingly a little egret in the water.

I've seen one or two there before, but I didn't think they'd over winter here, although reading the RSPB site this morning it appears that many do come here for the winter.

In our garden and nearby trees this week we've had redwings and fieldfares, a sparrowhawk, and this morning a pair of foxes. The biggest was quite the biggest fox I've ever seen. A bit grey here and there so presumably a bit long in the tooth, but looking very fit and well fed. He sat around on our lawn for a while then dissappeared through the hedge into the churchyard .

I hope our little bay tree survives. For a while it has been an ice sculpture!