Swift Half update - 12th January 2010

• No more of my bees have had their nests raided I'm thankful to say.
• Surprise sighting in the pond last night - a big palmate newt. Regular visitors to this blog might know that we have a healthy population of palmates in our pond (I'd say at least twelve individuals), but I thought they'd all be hibernating under the pond at this time of year (especially as the pond was almost frozen solid throughout December)
• It is slightly warmer at present though (13c tomorrow I hear) - but its important to realise (note to self!) that we're hardly into January, so consistent warmth won't be with us for two months or so, and we still are VERY much in snow / ice season!
• I've been watching a nice big flock of starlings over the past ten days or so, arrive over our garden at 4pm and roost maybe 1/2 mile NE of us. Tonight there were up to 500 birds in the "murmuration" (collective noun for starlings) -and they gave a spectacular display!