How else would anyone want to spend Sundays in January in Britain? I will admit it was a pretty frosty start, but I was too excited to stay in bed, so I grabbed my pre-packed gear, a flask of tea and some food and headed out in 4 layers looking like the Michelin man. I was expecting everything to feel still and silent as is typical of frosty mornings, but it couldn't have been any noisier as the woodpeckers were busy drilling right next to the hide - such an incredible feat these birds go to every year and such volume it makes when there are no leaves on the trees to muffle the sound. I rearranged the feeders and settled in to record for the Big Garden Birdwatch. Again lots of tits and the woodpeckers were very obliging, but after a couple of hours I was starting to ponder the layout and direction of the hide itself not just the feeders. As Ant arrived and began burning and clearing Rhodies again at the top I decided to rehash the hide completely and took it apart to rebuild. It didn't take too long as it's mostly bungee'd tarps and hanging camo netting but it did cause me to fall twice, shed a few layers and promptly replace them with layers of mud - smart Joanne, real smart. I basically doubled the height and instead of just one side being open for viewing, I now have two. Feels a lot more spacious and I can actually fit a chair in instead of slumming it on the muddy floor or a mould-covered log. With the front and one side now open to shoot through it also gives me a much wider vista to watch the behaviour of the birds when they are not actually on the feeders - where they take the food and how quickly they return. It's very difficult to see these things with only a small forward facing window. It does mean I need to get a second black shower curtain to hang behind me as the one I have only covers the back and therefore doesn't fully obscure my outline. That said, the birds didn't seem to mind and were still visiting the feeders hanging around me as I worked. Eventually we will build more permanent hide structures, but first I need to get the siting absolutely right for all seasons. It's relatively easy to get sufficient levels of light when the leaves are down and the sun is shining, but in the summer the direction of the hide could well be pointing into deep shade which would be of no use at all. 
A short break for a cuppa soup and some flapjacks and I was whistled from across the valley by our neighbours, Bob and Rita. They bought Flourish wood next door as well as Ousebeck wood the other side of that. They hadn't been up for a month on account of Rita's hips and the cold, but Bob simply couldn't stand it any longer and persuaded her to "pop up and check all was well". Such a lovely couple and thankfully managing their woods with similar ideas to us - wildlife, fruit trees, bee-keeping and recreational camping.
Whilst chatting with them and explaining what we've been up to, I realised I ought to start on the second hide to get it in place and baited before spring arrives. So as soon as I left them I began work on what I hope will be a bird of prey hide, which points out into the open clearing underneath the power lines. An area where Buzzards, Barn Owls and Tawnys have often been seen. I had picked the spot and collected the forked uprights back in the summer and was luckily given more camo screening by my sister for Christmas, so I shed another layer, and grabbed a load more bungee straps, and set about constructing a second wind and water proof temporary hide. I got half finished just as the light was fading and then my friend Keith turned up with a gift for me.... wow - an old tripod he had no need for with a beanbag support on top - result!
We had a wander and then ventured up to the top to see that Ant had managed to clear yet another huge section of Rhodies and create a really good looking area where some of the more mature and upright specimens have been left to create cover, shade and evergreen interest. It's also now possible to see where yet another stream is trickling down off the field and almost creating a flowing path down the bank. I can't wait for spring to see what flowers come up in the area now that the sunlight can reach the floor and the ground has been churned up underfoot and hopefully brought a load of dormant seeds to the surface.PS: new camera is simply AMAZING! I love it.
