Although the leaves of most of the trees in the garden have fallen (and we yet have to rake them up for the compost heap), there is still plenty of colour in the garden. The Mahonia Japonica is in full flower , it has green glossy leaves with plenty of tiny yellow florets on long stems gracing the holly like fonds.

The winter Jasmine (Nudiflorum) always puts up a splendid show of yellow flowers against the north facing wall of the house as well; it is a welcoming sight in the winter and never fails. There are plenty of red berries on the holly trees around the garden but I doubt that there will be any by Christmas as the birds, and especially, several pigeons were seen feasting on them; slow but surely stripping the tree of berries. We often find small holly plants near the bottoms of fence posts which has made me wonder if the bird drops them while trying to eat, or the seed in the middle of the berry passes through the bird's stomach and is deposited on the ground as they sit on the post.

Blackbirds, and Redwings (all members of the thrush family) are winter visitors and they like to strip the trees of berries. They come every year and stay just long enough for the feast before moving on. It is just luck if one can see them. The pecking order on the seed feeders has generally become established with the Great Tits taking president and having the first feed followed by the Blue Tit, and then the Coal Tit (distinguished by a black head) but every now and then all of these give way to the long tailed tits who come in a tight crowd and all feed together.

We do see Nuthatches and the Greater Spotted Woodpeckers who prefer the peanuts from time to time and these will frighten off all the smaller birds that hang about in the shrubbery for their chance. Some of the bolder Tits will attach themselves to the other side of the feed as far away as possible, but with a cautious eye on the Woodpecker. A full seed feeder can be emptied in one day.

Snails will be hibernating when the weather gets colder. They hide under stones or ivy and seal the entrance to their shells with mucus that goes hard. They can sometimes be found in large clusters under stones. If you can find them it is a good time to dispose of them.

The mild wet winters that we seem to be having lately have given rise to an abundance of slugs. We rarely saw a slug in our garden it being dry soil and built on a sand bank on the edge of the river flood plain which slugs hate as they need the damp to survive.

These wet warmer winters suit them well; we had a slug explosion in 2005 so, as gardeners we welcome a spell of dry cold and frosty weather, which kills a few other bugs as well.

Generally it is a strange time of the year for the countryside with dullness and listlessness everywhere but come the end of next month a new feeling will be in the air, even though it is still cold, as the evenings start to lengthen and we look forward to the snowdrops followed by the crocus shoots, and the catkins appearing, and the birds getting active for the forthcoming nest building.