There are loads of birds in my garden today. Is it because...

[purpleturtle]

the weather's turned really cold and they're madly trying to stock up for winter?
Ds2 and I are eating our lunch, and we can see a thrush, the robin, a pair or two of blackbirds, something that looks like a blackbird but I think is a starling, a bluetit, a sparrow, a magpie and now a pigeon! Ds2 is rather over-excited (he's only 14mths)!

They seem unusually busy today, and I wondered why. Am also hoping that the woodpecker who vistied last weekend might make a reappearance.

how exciting purpleturtle - probably is because of the cold - I've just put warm water in the bird bath !
We have millions of sparrows,often bluetits,robins,starlings (like a bbird but speckledy feathers on back) and greenfinches - ds is the expert, I learn bird stuff from him !

We only moved here in August, and the birds are still something of a novelty (as you can tell). Upstairs I've got a bird book, but it's wrapped up because it's my mum's birthday present for dh and his birthday's not for 3 weeks yet!

According to the neighbours there used to be a kestrel occupying the church spire next door, but it seems to have moved on. Shame. Although they did once witness it catch a baby bird before their very eyes, and don't seem overly impressed !

kestrel - wow !
we had a sparrowhawk in the summer which was very exciting,though I was worried for the sparrows !
We moved here from London 2 yrs ago and since then we have all got really interested in bird watching - ds has binoculars too !

I've noticed loads of birds in the garden too. I put a robin/wren box up in spring, and I've got a robin (sans red breast) noticing it at the moment. It's great that birds are starting to visit, as 12 months my garden was just a quagmire. There are also loads of cats about.