From David Cole in Deepest West Sussex

This year there seems to have been a goodly supply of natural food in the countryside for our garden birds - they have been a bit thin on the ground (and on the bird tables!).

Berries, nuts and acorns - which are crushed on the road - supply good proteins for the usual suspects and the seed heads from the thistles and wild flowers have been keeping many of our regulars busy further afield. However, as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has noted in its latest news letter - times they are achanging...

The BTO organizes a survey based on its army of birdwatchers to keep a check on what its coming and going in the nations gardens, and its results are always interesting. For instance more gardens than ever before have recorded the presence of Blackcaps - although we've yet to see one ourselves.

Our Goldfinches have made a reappearance on the bird table although they still seem to prefer the last of the standing thistles in the hedgerows - most of the thistles were stripped by the strong winds and rains of the last few weeks, and those that remain are on their last legs.

My wife and I have decided to be a bit more adventurous with the feed that we get (naturally from TWOOTZ!) and to see what exotics we can entice in.

And we have invested in a couple of extra feeders - one that looks as though it can be made to protect the seed/feed overnight from rain and wind - I'll write here when it has had a test and let you all know how it gets on - I know that people do read the TWOOTZ blogs because I have had a couple of direct contacts with questions - love to get a response, then you are sure that you are not just indulging a bit of ego!