Weather Summary - January 2023

Rainfall: 163.6mm*

Temp High: 14.5oC on 1st

Temp Low: -11.0oC on 21st

Temp Average: 1.1oC 

*Rainfall is slightly lower than actual as we had significant snow is the middle of the month which doesn't always get fully recorded (the rain gauge gets blocked by snow).

Thursday 19 January 2023

This buzzard was sitting in the poplar behind the house. I opened the window and he flew off immediately, which is why this photo is a rushed snap.

Buzzard, Christophstal January 2023

Buzzard, Christophstal January 2023

Tuesday 17 January 2023
Moon, from Christophstal January 2023

Moon, from Christophstal January 2023

There still isn't much of note going on so I took a photo of today's moon. It was cold, so I took this through a window and it isn't as sharp as it could be.

Sunday 15 January 2023

We found this dead beetle inside the house recently. I'm pretty sure it is Tenebrio molitor which is the yellow mealworm beetle. This may have come from our peanut or sunflower seed bird food bags or it might have just come through an open window.

Dead <em>Tenebrio molitor</em> beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Dead Tenebrio molitor beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Dead <em>Tenebrio molitor</em> beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Dead Tenebrio molitor beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Dead <em>Tenebrio molitor</em> beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Dead Tenebrio molitor beetle, Christophstal from sometime in 2022

Tuesday 10 January 2023
Turkey feather from nestbox, Christophstal January 2023

Turkey feather from nestbox, Christophstal January 2023

Turkey feather from nestbox, Christophstal January 2023

Turkey feather from nestbox, Christophstal January 2023

We cleaned out the second of our bird boxes this weekend. This was frequented by great tits during the summer, but this feather we found embedded in the nest is not a familiar species. From what I can tell, this is a turkey feather. One of the houses in the valley keeps turkeys and chickens, so this was presumably collected by a great tit and brought to the garden.

Monday 2 January 2023

Back on the 20th December we saw a great white egret down by the Forbach. Today he/she was in the valley again and I managed to get a few distant photos as they flew off towards the south (leaving a little present for anyone unfortunate enough to be under the flight path).

Great White Egret, Christophstal January 2023

Great White Egret, Christophstal January 2023

Great White Egret, Christophstal January 2023

Great White Egret, Christophstal January 2023

Great White Egret with a parting gift, Christophstal January 2023

Great White Egret with a parting gift, Christophstal January 2023