It doesn't seem long ago that I was writing about the snowfall and how good it was for finding animal tracks and signs. Well, winter's here again (with a vengeance!) and the snow has been so deep that it's made walking about the countryside very slow and tiring, and for the first week very few animal tracks were visible, as they also found travelling extremely difficult.
When getting to the cameras has been possible, I've been rewarded with some very good videos including otters rolling around in the snow and entering and leaving a Holt (can be seen on our youtube channel).
The cold weather doesn't bother Otters at all, as they're perfectly adapted to a life of cold and wet, as long as they can find somewhere dry and sheltered to rest through the daylight hours. Our Bird life on the other hand, doesn't always fare so well, and a prolonged cold spell can have a devastating effect on population numbers. Bird feeders are a vital source of nourishment at this time of year, but birds also need to find somewhere warm and dry to shelter through the long cold nights.
The thermometer read -11.5 c as I set off to check the bird boxes that are fitted with cameras, to see if I could film any birds that may be occupying them, and below is a clip of a Great Tit which fluffs it's feathers out to trap air as it roosts.
