Burns Night Big Birdie Watch

Sam, fortified with jammy pancakes, warmed by two of his grandmas crocheted blankets and cosseted by his Christmas onesie, had bravely got up in the face of a Saturday morning and zombie walked downstairs, moulded himself into the endless folds of a massive beanbag that had been warmed by a centrally heated house, and began to peer through the double glazing to count the flying wonders of the garden for an hour. Yes indeed, such are the harsh conditions that hardened nature lovers have to endure to take part in the RSPB big garden bird watch.

Not even the ginga ninja's appearance with a wee timorous (happy Burns Night everyone!) mouse, which he duly gorged on right in front if us, stopped Sam from narrating, Attenborough style. I was told about the mating habits of the frisky Dunnock, shown the mid flight combat of the two territorial robins, lectured about why the green finches were leaner of late, marvelled at a huge group of chaffinches and we talked anxiously of the dangers of the blackbirds nest in the holly bush, where the evil cats could spy their supper all too easily. After an hour it was all over, and our count wasn't too shabby this year.

Dunnocks, green finches, chaffinches, pigeons, blackbirds, jackdaws, crows, seagulls, robins, great, blue and cold tits. All lovely, But no real gems this year like buzzards, tree creepers, woodpeckers or even the once frequent sparrow, Long tails or redpolls or even our goldfinches. Ach well, I think trying to upload the results will take longer than the watch due to the website traffic.

Nature boy is now OCD'ing on the xbox. Still in the onesie though.