I have a pair of mistle thrushes now raising their second brood of four chicks in my local woodland.

Looking back in my diary of 2013 I heard a mistle thrush singing away despite high wind and a snow storm in January. No wonder that it was once called the storm cock!

The mistle thrush does not make a tidy nest but it is safe.

A few years ago in Towneley Park, Burnley, I saw a nest made out of sheep wool and discarded crisp packets.

Four or five eggs are laid which are pale greenish in colour and spotted with brown and violet. Egg-laying often begins in early March but the snow in April this year did delay things and who could blame them.

Mistle thrushes are brave parents and have been known to swoop on people who get too close to the nest.

I had a dog once which recognised the alarm call of a mistle thrush and kept well away!

Armchair wildlife

I know that many people do not like then and call them tree rats but I must admit I have got to know my grey squirrels as welcome visitors. I have a patio overlooking a small woodland and every day my bird table becomes a squirrel table.

I have been able to sit in my lounge and watch one of the animal world’s greatest acrobats. although they were only introduced from North America in the 1870’s they are now common – some say too common –- all over England.

I always keep my camera handy and was able to catch two shots during this spring showing how my two squirrels have coped with the weather. In April it was a case of watching one feed on peanuts in the snow and six weeks later feeding in warm sunshine.

This is a real case of lazy nature watching and I look forward to my squirrel visits in the comfort of an armchair.