Birds of a feather...

It's an interesting time of year. Now that the breeding season is done and dusted for most birds, some are now forming flocks.

At the moment, watch out for mixed flocks of blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits at The Lodge. This year's youngsters join gatherings of birds which roam around to search for food together. And of course, there's safety in numbers. All those eyes together will make sure that the alarm is raised quickly if a predator - perhaps a sparrowhawk - is spotted.

So if you hear lots of twittering in trees near you, watch out for a flock coming your way. If you keep still and quiet, they can sometimes get really close. Get a good look and you might be able to tell apart adult birds from this year's young. The juvenile blue, great and coal tits often have yellowish cheeks, though they'll start to look more like their parents very soon.

Also, see if you can pick out any interlopers - maybe a treecreeper or a great spotted woodpecker - which have joined the gang.

Let us know how you get on!