Birdwatching steadily increases in popularity while the enjoyment we derive from feeding garden birds supports a major industry supplying a range of nuts and seeds and ever more sophisticated designs for feeders.

My latest feeders fortunately deter parakeets and squirrels which gave up after several attempts to extract the goodies within.These days my birds shun peanuts in favour of sunflower hearts while goldfinches love niger seed.Gone are the days when I used a bird table with so many squirrels around.

I take my feeders down between April and September as there are indications that nestlings could possibly choke on large pieces and there is plenty of natural food available in the nesting season.

Rightly or wrongly I don't have a 'twitchers' mentality.The only occasion I did 'twitch' in a minor way was to join a group of enthusiasts just a mile away when on a bitterly cold winter's day a few years ago news filtered through that a flock of waxwings was established in trees adjacent to a pyracantha bush laden with berries.

My enjoyment comes from watching local birds,like the great crested grebe(pictured)all of which are every bit as interesting as rarities.

What more can we ask for when we are able to watch and listen to skylarks in Richmond and Bushy parks and see swallows and peregrine falcons in Kingston,surely enough to satisfy the most demanding of birdwatchers.