Hard frost, very foggy.
Today started very cold, a hard hoar frost covered everything.
The first birds seen today were goldfinches feeding on the frost covered thistle heads opposite the house. There was quite a crowd today, probably 12 maybe more, and certainly at least one siskin accompanying them.
When I eventually ventured out with the dog, a pair of ravens flew over towards the Forest. Several wood pigeons were flying about, seemingly for no apparent reason. I have tried to take a few pictures today, of which more later.
The oak wood was quite busy with birds today, plenty of blue tits, great tits and a few longtails. Robins, hedge sparrows and wrens seemed to be plentiful, with two nuthatches making plenty of noise. Two song thrushes and about eight blackbirds were rooting about amongst the thick layer of leaves that cover the ground here. The thrushes fly up into the trees as soon as I appear but the blackbirds take little notice.
The orchard revealed only four blackbirds and two fieldfares, a single collared dove and three chaffinches. I think that the apples are rapidly being eaten up.
Many house sparrows flitted about from bird tables to their hideaways in a thick hawthorn hedge.
Jackdaws, rooks and crows were feeding on the field at the back of the house as the day grew warmer and the pair of magpies were in evidence in the hazel tree again.
The frost had all cleared by the end of the afternoon with much milder weather forecast for tomorrow.

Our resident blackbird on his favourite singing perch.
Fieldfare on orchard floor.