It has warmed up again, with temperature records broken at several weather stations. The sun was shining, and it reached up to 14 °C. The remnants of snow and frozen puddles have melted, and water lingers in the muddy furrows of the fields, just like in spring.
I’ve started serving fat balls to the birds in the feeders, made from pork fat, sunflower seeds, and oats. I scatter part of the mix around the yard as well. Along with usual flocks of Great tits (Parus major) and Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) , three feeders and their surrounding now repeatedly attracts two pairs of Common blackbirds (Turdus merula), a pair of European Robins (Erithacus rubecula), and a pair of Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto). Among the tits, Eurasian blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) have joined in more, thanks to the adjusted menu.
Yesterday, four Black-spot Chestnuts (Conistra rubiginosa) emerged into the light. They are associated with blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), which is abundant in the area, and this is their season. In any case, these were the first moths of 2025!
