There has been a vicious, bitter easterly wind blowing for a couple of days that has meant double coats, hats and gloves for those of us without fur or feather. Now, as I write, conditions have deteriorated further into a howling storm with lashing rain. A good time to settle down and report on wildlife highlights over the past week.

Badgers are the bosses and the Foxes certainly know that and always make way for them – we were therefore so surprised by the following sequence:

The fox jumped away just as the badger was about to back into him – it clearly had never seen bedding gathering before and seemed curious.

The Mustelid box has been entertaining us recently:

No Mustelids yet, but interesting all the same.

Here is the female Sparrowhawk having a bath:

And a Blackbird eating a Sloe:

We are putting seed down along the weedy strip this winter to help farmland birds:

This is proving very popular and we have a flock of Chaffinches and also a flock of Sparrows who are using it a lot, along with some Linnets and Dunnock.  There are also these lovely Grey Partridge:

It’s nearly the end of the year! With the winter solstice next week, the days are at their shortest and this photo of a wonderful sunset, with which I am finishing my blogging year, was all happening not long after lunch it seemed. Roll on the spring!