Taking a moment: spotting wildlife in the garden

Images courtesy of the RSPB website

Life can get hectic, especially with a babe or a young family, hell even without kiddos life can get hectic.  It is just a different type of hectic I suppose.  That is why when I get five minutes to myself I really try to enjoy and savour them.  I take it all in and enjoy the moment for what it is.

Recently, especially since my Gran visited (she is an avid birder) and now that we live in the countryside I find myself sitting by a window or our back door taking in the world outside.  We have an abundance of wildlife on our doorstep and I love learning about it.  I bought myself a pair of binoculars and got bird watching and I love it.

The RSPB website is so easy to use and I find myself searching for the birds I have spotted - it is amazing how many different birds one can spot in their garden if you are looking for them.  Each week I top up my peanuts, sunflower seeds and seed mix as well as put down my hedgehog food (although I did spy a rat a couple of weeks ago which made my heart sank as I thought my hog was back!).  So far I have seen:

- Great spotted woodpecker
- Goldfinch
- Chaffinch
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Coal Tit
- House sparrows
- Blackbirds
- Chiffchaff
- Buzzard

And although I haven't seen him, I have heard a little tawny owl at night too!  Along with the birds,we have a regular visitor in the evening - he is a tiny little bat and I am hoping to build him (OK I am going to ask the hubby!) a little bat house from these instructions.  I would also love to build a hedgehog house and buy a small bird bath too!

The woodpecker is my favourite, he swoops in the air and pecks at the trees and really loves peanuts.  He has beautiful colours and is quite large - I love seeing him flying around.

It is these moments of enjoying the wildlife on my doorstep, watching the trees turn green and hearing the birds sing that I realise how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.  Our garden backs onto fields which backs onto more fields and our views are stunning.  While I was reading the RSPB website, I came across this "Giving Nature a home" handy guide and downloaded it - its full of ideas.  You can follow the RSPB on facebook, twitter and instagram to keep in touch!

Next time you have a moment, get a cup of tea and really look outside, listen to the birds and enjoy the wildlife around you.

♥