Keep your garden birds warm this winter by ensuring the loft insulation in their bird boxes is up to scratch. In this case I've used 5 inches of fluffy snow to add insulation just at the time when its most needed. Perhaps I should fit a draught excluder to that hole at the front though, otherwise those blue tit energy bills will be colossal!

In other news, my mother got us this delightful red bird box for Christmas which has just gone up on a fence post in the garden. Apparently the following basic rules should be followed when positioning a bird box, though there are variations for different species:

• At least 1.5m off the ground
• With a clear flight path into the box
• Sheltered from harsh weather (rain, wind and sun)

More information on types of bird boxes and siting is available courtesy of the BBC. Having read the full breakdown I'm worried that ours may not be sheltered enough, nor offer sufficient nearby safe perching for fledglings. Still – let's see how it goes over this coming year. This is a great time of year to put up a bird box so why not buy one and do just that.