As I walked my dog Tara, with my son Rick this morning I was pondering this month's Bird of the Month.  All of a sudden a small bird flew into a small tree nearby.  A Long-tailed Tit! Perfect.  Not only good to look at, but a true fighter.

Last year's Big Garden Birdwatch had shown they had been devastated in the bad weather.  But in the breeding season they had made up their losses.  How had they got on this winter?  Judging by the numbers I saw today, fairly well.  Rick and I saw a least three flocks on the walk with Tara and on a later walk around Colwick Country Park, many,many, more.

Soon they will be building their nests, a miracle of engineering.  Made from moss bound with cobwebs and lined with feathers, it expands as the young inside grow.