For the last two days I have seen a pair of these, drumming and generally
displaying and following each other on some trees.  This is in the very
cold east of Essex, with the ground covered with snow.

This strikes me as very early.  Do they normally start courting so early.

-- 
Regards from Robert Seago : http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/rjseago

In article , Robert Seago 
 writes
>For the last two days I have seen a pair of these, drumming and generally
>displaying and following each other on some trees.  This is in the very
>cold east of Essex, with the ground covered with snow.
>
>This strikes me as very early.  Do they normally start courting so early.
>
BWP says from mid-January, but exceptionally from December. The fact 
that it is happening now is clearly down to global warming! Think how 
much colder it would have been without it :-)

-- 
Malcolm