Has the cold brought you some winter treats?

I'm sure that many of you have enjoying (or enduring) scenes like this in recent days, which was my garden on Tuesday.

Once the sun came out, it was picture-postcard time from my bedroom.

It is the first lying snow I've had in three years here, and all very lovely as seen from the comfort of a centrally-heated house.

It is the kind of weather than makes birds do unexpected things - I'm sure many of you will have had things turn up in your garden this week that you don't normally see.

For me, today I had a Pied Wagtail, only my second ever record in the garden, and some Redwings were in, feeding right up under the bird feeders. But most unexpected was a Lapwing which flew up from the suburban street in front of my house in the middle of the day, presumably disoriented.

One species some of you might be seeing at the moment, pushed into gardens by the cold weather, is the Chaffinch's northern cousin, the Brambling, and last week I was fortunate enough to see and photograph some (although sadly not in my back garden).

So I thought I'd share some of my shots to really pick out those differences from the much, much commoner Chaffinches.

Here's a male Chaffinch - blue grey head, a kind of warm rufous all across the underparts, a deeper brown, plain back (you can just about see here) and black wing with white or off-yellow flashes.

Male Bramblings, in contrast, well, wow! They have a dark hood as if flecked with frost, a rich orange breast and pure white belly. As March marches on, that head will turn increasingly jet black and velvety. Truly scrumptious.

Females are a bit trickier, but given a good view it should still be possible. Here's the Chaffinch, mid brown above, paler brown below, yes those pale flashes in the dark wing but overall rather (do excuse me, Mrs Chaffinch) dowdy.

The female Brambling is much more contrasty, with dark markings across the sides of her crown and down the back of her head, some of the male's lovely orange in the wing and breast, strong flecking on her back, and that Daz-white belly.

It all looks so easy in photos, but hidden in a tree or at a distance it can be much more difficult.

But there are two more things to help you. First, the Brambling has a distinctive call, which I think sounds like a small parrot - a warped and very nasal 'che-wee' that rises in pitch. It really stands out.

And the second is that as they fly away from you, both male and female Bramblings flash a pure white rump.

So keep feeding the birds, and hopefully a Brambling will come to cheer your day. And if they don't, well, at least you know you're helping your local birds make it through this achingly cold weather. I think it is so heartening to think that, when the chips are down, where do birds turn to? Gardens. Food-rich gardens. And if that includes yours, then GOOD ON YOU!

I'm currently looking for gardens to feature in the RSPB's Nature's Home magazine. Big, small, balcony or window box - it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that you have done amazing things for wildlife in it, whether that be butterflies, amphibians, hedgehogs, dragonflies, or of course birds, or everything!

So if you think you have a garden that RSPB supporters across the country would be inspired by, a garden that tells a story, please get in touch at adrian.thomas@rspb.org.uk. I can't promise to feature every one, but I'd love to hear from you. Don't be modest - share the love!