It's the first week of January and I'm struck by a sudden change in the birds around us. Chaffinches, tits, blackbirds, green woodpeckers... They're all suddenly more active and starting to sing!
With midday temperatures hovering around 20 degrees in the shade in our garden, it's hardly surprising they think spring has sprung, but they'll be in for a shock over the next couple of months when the weather reverts to this: