Getting ready for Big Garden Birdwatch: The appeal of apples

Every day I have up to fifteen Blackbirds on my lawn, and for one reason only - to peck at my Bramleys.

I stored a load of windfalls in the autumn, wrapping them individually in newspaper. Now, every day, five more apples get put out, and down come the Blackbirds.

It takes quite a stab, a stretch and jab, to actually skewer out bits of the soft flesh, but it is clearly very acceptable fare.

I admit that I would quite like one morning to find that a Fieldfare or Redwing has joined the party, but for now I'll be content with my simple, monochrome Blackbirds. It will take really hard weather to push those Scandianavian thrushes down to the coast here, but for many of you around the country, they are likely to be your reward for the price of a few old apples.

I say monochrome, but it's amazing how speckled some of the females are, almost thrush-like. And all of them with the fresh gloss of apple juice on their beaks!

Bring on the Birdwatch! (Remember you've got three days this year - 28-30 January).