How waxwings and log fires can brighten the long winter months

In two cases which came to my notice, the sightings were of solitary birds, which suggests those in question had been separated from their companions because waxwings usually travel or assemble in small flocks.

They are very noisy during the mating season, chattering ceaselessly, although they tend to be much quieter at this time of year. They are winter visitors, heading into Britain during November, and they can be seen in Scotland and along the east coast until March.

They come from Siberia and many of them get no further than Sweden, consequently sightings in this country are considered noteworthy. For reasons which are uncertain, they seem to arrive in huge numbers on rare occasions known as waxwing winters. At other times, very few arrive. I am not sure whether this will be a waxwing winter.

It is not known if it is a shortage of food in their native lands or severe weather conditions in the far north, or perhaps a combination of both, which drives them south, but some country folk would regard their arrival as a forecast of bad winter weather in our region.

It is probably more likely they are fleeing from severe conditions in their homeland, although we could receive that same bad or rough weather before the winter is out.

Waxwings are very distinctive and colourful birds. Larger than a robin but smaller than a blackbird, they are a beautiful pinkish-brown with a prominent crest.

They have a black mark across each eye and a black patch on the throat, but their wings and tails are very bright with black, white and yellow markings. The black tip of the tail is edged with yellow, they have a grey rump and their upper wings have bright red tips to the feathers, these resulting in the name of waxwing.

All these features are easily seen when the birds are in flight or feeding in trees. At this time of year, they will be seen in trees and shrubs which are rich with berries. They love the small fruits which grow on hawthorns, holly, rowan, guelder rose, dog rose and a variety of cultivated shrubs and, when they are feeding, they can seem oblivious to our presence. They are considered very tame by normal standards for wild birds and might even be spotted among our feathered garden visitors, probably arriving to drink from ponds and bird-baths.

If they do arrive in huge numbers, they will certainly brighten the coming winter.

At this time of year, I am often asked to repeat the rhyme which highlights the qualities of logs we might be considering for our domestic fires.

There is no doubt a warming log fire is a wonderful asset to the home in winter, especially during the Christmas season. There are several verses which provide information about the varying qualities of fireside logs, these being the result of our forebears' long experience.

For one of these verses, I am indebted to a friend who lives in Barnard Castle. He spotted it on the wall of a hostelry in Norfolk. It is a shortened version of the following:

Oak logs will warm you well, if they're old and dry.

Larch logs of pine woods smell, but the sparks will fly.

Beech logs for Christmas time; yew logs heat so well;

Scotch logs it is a crime for anyone to sell.

Birch logs will burn too fast; chestnut scarce at all;

Hawthorn logs are good to last, if cut in the fall.

Holly logs will burn like wax, you should burn them green;

Elm logs like smouldering flax, no flame to be seen.

Pear logs and apple logs, they will scent your room;

Cherry logs across the dogs smell like flowers in bloom.

But ash logs all smooth and grey, burn them green or old,

Buy up all that come your way, they're worth their weight in gold.

The clear message here is that ash is by far the best timber for our log fires, while the wood of fruit trees will produce a pleasant scent in the room and that of conifers will send sparks flying.

Elm is probably the worst because it smoulders with little or no heat. Indeed, one verse says it is like churchyard mould. I have another verse which reads:

Birch and fir logs burn too fast, blaze up bright and do not last.

Make fire of an elder tree, death within your house you'll see.

It is by the Irish said, hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.

But ash green and ash brown, is fit for a queen with golden crown.

Yet another verse says that ash wet or ash dry is fit for a queen to warm her slippers by, while poplar gives a bitter smoke which fills your eyes and makes you choke.

It seems that lime will also make an excellent firewood, provided it has been cut and stacked for three or four months.

The elder tree used to be the focus of many superstitions and it was always considered unlucky to bring it into the house, and extremely unlucky to burn it.

In some parts of England as late as 1938, it was believed that if elder wood was burnt in the home, it heralded the death of a member of the family, although it was also thought to ward off lightning strikes.

Elders were often grown near a house or farm buildings because the tree was thought to provide protection from lightning and other evils.

I think the host of superstitions about elder are inspired by the belief that the cross upon which Christ was crucified was made of elder wood.

Sunday is the first Sunday of December and before the Reformation it was said that, if it rained before mass on that day, then it would rain for a week.

There is not a great deal of other weather lore for early December, except that a cold December is good for the coming year's crops and thunder in December heralds fine weather ahead.

One wonders how our ancestors would have coped with the effects of global warming, which does seem to be changing our weather system.

I read recently that one of the finest methods of forecasting the winter weather is to study ladybirds. It seems they are far more reliable than birds, animals, trees and folklore in the forecasting of our winter weather, although I am not quite sure to which of our many species of ladybird this theory applies.

There are some 40 different types in this country alone, with the red seven-spot being the most numerous and perhaps the best known.

So far as their weather prognosticating abilities are concerned, it seems that if ladybirds hibernate at ground level under a covering of leaves or other shelter, then we can expect a long and hard winter.

If, on the other hand, they hibernate at a higher level, say under the bark of trees, beneath our eaves or in our window frames, then a milder winter can follow.

It would appear that, in this winter's case, our ladybirds are hibernating at higher levels, which suggests a milder winter, something in complete contrast to the doom-laden forecasts which have resulted from so many berries being noticed on the trees this year.

Recently, someone asked if I knew of any folk cures for cramp. Among the best known are: 1 When you go to bed, turn your slippers upside down. Sufferers swear this works! 2 If you think you are going to get cramp, suck two lumps of sugar or drink a solution of powdered glucose mixed with water. 3 Put bottle corks in your bed. One woman who tried this was ticked off by her doctor for drinking too much! 4 Dab the affected part with a handkerchief soaked in very cold water. 5 Consume more salt. Sadly, I cannot guarantee any of these actually work.