Unexpected snow...

We went to Bristol yesterday and on the drive back it started to snow. As it was not forecasted we thought it would peter out before we got close to home but we hit Swansea and there was a full blown blizzard on the motorway. Driving was a nightmare and there were a few scary moments but my husband is renowned for his calm ways and drove on unphased. There was a highlight when the snow seemed to clear around Carmarthen and a barn owl flew in front of the car silhouetted in the moonlight.. but it was short lived. The weather worsened closer to home and it took over 3 hours to do the journey, ending with us slithering up our drive in relief. Then it snowed over night, all of it a New Year surprise, so that when we went out this morning....

There was nothing going up the road....

Nothing going down the road........

And the garden was full of birds needing feeding in the cold. So we filled up the feeders, threw down extra seed and defrosted the bird bath for water supplies. My husband checked his hives to make sure the bees were OK because if snow collects in the entrance and reflects back into the hive, they are deceived into thinking it is light and sunny outside. They then come outside and die in the cold. Not to be recommended if we are to collect any honey this summer.

It's started to thaw now in the bright sunshine but the birds are still out in numbers. We've seen all the usual suspects this morning - all the tits, blackbirds, thrushes, robins, dunnock, greenfinches, chaffinches, starlings, jay, magpies, crows etc but there are no signs of any sparrows or goldfinches which is unusual. There was a beautiful male bullfinch hanging around but I could never get the camera focussed in time. I also spied my nemesis, the grey squirrel and a little wood vole. Why is it they all look more appealing with a white backdrop? I could even tolerate the rabbits in the snow if I saw them ....well, perhaps not....