THIS morning, as I write these notes two weeks ahead of publication, the sun was shining as I awoke and a thrush was in full voice in our cherry tree. He remained for more than an hour before moving a few yards into some neighbouring silver birches and finally performing from sycamores behind the house. All those trees are leafless as I make these notes but clearly he senses that spring is in the air and equally clearly, he is declaring his presence to other thrushes and marking the boundaries of his territory. In the near future, there may be a thrush’s nest somewhere nearby.

We have three bird feeders in our garden, plus a fish pond, and over the winter, with its snows and chill winds, we have been blessed with the presence of many garden birds. Most of them were blue tits or great tits, although a coal tit joined them occasionally.

In those winter conditions, our visitors included a male chaffinch, a nuthatch, several greenfinches, a tree creeper, wood pigeons, collared doves, blackbirds, a robin, a wren and a hedge accentor, otherwise known as a dunnock or hedge sparrow.

Crows, rooks and magpies regularly fly overhead and on occasions up aloft, I’ve spotted passing buzzards, a raven, various species of gull, a heron, a peregrine falcon and several large silhouetted birds that I could not identify.

However, in recent days birds did not appear in the garden despite light falls of snow and some frosts when they would need food, and I wondered what had prevented their visits. A cat perhaps? Even a fox, or some construction work going on nearby?

It was following that dearth of wild visitors that the thrush began to sing.

What followed was quite remarkable. It seemed as if he had aroused many other species because that same morning, the garden was suddenly full of birds, most of them taking advantage of our feeders but some merely sitting around in the beech hedge or leafless trees and bushes. There were far more birds than usual although many were species that we see frequently – but there were more blue tits and great tits than previously and this time a pair of chaffinches arrived, a male and female.

As the thrush broadcast his charms, I spotted a goldfinch on one of our feeders, then a tree sparrow. A trio of blackbirds were fussing about among the shrubs, one of whom was a female, while a robin pottered around beneath the seed feeder to seek snacks on the ground. This lovely friendly bird lacks the agility of the titmouse family when it comes to coping with a bird feeder.

While all this was going on, a small flock of long tailed tits appeared and promptly took over our nut holder which is inside a protective cage designed to keep grey squirrels at bay. And so it does. I counted nine of these dainty and beautiful little birds but instead of fighting one another for space, these sociable birds all fed together in what had become a rather cramped space. They even permitted a couple of blue tits and a coal tit to join them.

Then there was another surprise. A flock of small fastflying little birds suddenly arrived to make good use of all the feeders. It was difficult to count them – I made it nine or ten after several recounts – but as the sun was fairly low in the sky, it was difficult to see their colours. They were more like little fast-flying silhouettes but when some of them arrived at our squirrel-proof feeder which is very near the kitchen window, it was possible to identify them.

It was a small flock of siskins.

About the size of a blue tit, the siskin is a member of the finch family, one of the smallest in this country (the serin is about the same size) and at one time one of our rarer birds. Once it was found only in the pine forests of the Scottish Highlands but since large forests of conifers have been planted in England, the siskin has multiplied and spread much further afield. There is a pine plantation at the other side of our valley so perhaps they came from there?

Although it is a small bird, the male has a strongly marked black cap and chin with greenish-brown plumage bearing dark wing markings containing flashes of yellow. It has a yellow rump with a dark tail marked with yellow. Not surprisingly, the male siskin can sometimes be mistaken for a greenfinch, but its smaller size is a useful identification aid. The female has similar greenish plumage but lacks the black cap and chin of the male.

The siskins’ main habitats are coniferous forests where they feed mainly on seeds, but it seems that our native population can be swollen by winter migrants. On occasions I have noticed siskins in our gardens and at our bird feeders, but always lone birds. That little flock was the first time I’ve seen them in such numbers.

Welcoming so many species into our garden within such a short time was quite remarkable but I wonder if the thrush’s song was the main attraction?

I HAVE been asked whether the Rey Cross high on Stainmore beside the A66 road has anything to do with a foreign monarch. I believe that in some European countries of ancient times, rey was indeed the title of a monarch or leader. Whether or not this ancient cross is named after a foreign potentate is highly unlikely but its name is curious, sometimes being called either rere cross or rear cross. I don’t think it has ever been known as rhea cross!

It is a short stone shaft that is fixed into a stone plinth surrounded by small rails and it stands beside the A66 where it crosses Stainmore.

That it is ancient is not in doubt but its purpose does prompt speculation. It is believed that the pillar was once much taller, up to ten feet or so, and that it marks the burial site of the famous Viking, Eric Bloodaxe, who was a ruler of Northumbria.

However, excavations at the site were carried out in 1989 when the A66 was widened, but no grave or bones were located. It is possible that Eric Bloodaxe was buried somewhere else in this area, even with speculation that this monument has been moved from its location.

There is also a Roman link.

Much of the route of the A66 was formerly a Roman road and close to Rey Cross is a former marching camp now known as Rey Cross Camp.

This is where the Roman soldiers rested during their long marches, generally using leather tents. This one is said to date from c71 AD with history recording that it was used in 72 AD after the Battle of Stanwick, when it was the resting place of the 9th Legion, which was then commanded by Cerialis.

The spacious camp was said to be large enough to accommodate two legions. It was constructed as a large square with each boundary 300 metres long. This does open the question as to whether Rey Cross dates from Roman times.