This week, the weather and family appointments joined forces to ensure that my time with the camera was severely limited to local trips only - and little of interest locally to attract me out anyway. So I decided on Wednesday to revamp my garden feeding station. Unlike others with large gardens, mine is just average sized so setting up a small feeding station that attracts birds and lends itself to photography needed careful thought.

Yesterday, with the job done, I sat for a couple of hours with the conservatory door open and camera at the ready for some action. It didn't take long with a charm of a dozen Goldfinches the first visitors.

And then the loose peanuts interested a Jay and then there were 4 queuing up to feed. Jays are notoriously shy but these were not in the least concerned with me snapping away from 4 metres away - very surprising.

Then they started to disappear with beakfulls of peanuts, presumably to build up the winter store.

The lack of shyness and early winter storage may be a pointer to the lack of natural food avaliable.

Currently, as I watch the feeders in the pouring rain from the comfort of my conservatory, I see regular visits from Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits as well as the usual Chaffinches and Greenfinches. I have even had a brief visit from a male Brambling, the first for 3 years.

Is this a sign that feeders will be attracting many more birds than last year? If so it will be vital that our feeders are kept well stocked. In two days, I have seen a whole bag of peanuts disappear and some other feeders need topping up every day.