Taking a Shower

Before I got out into the garden to clear the ice out of the bird bath I watched this Blackbird at the small "fountain" outside my study.

Because the water is pumped round it doesn't freeze, and the Blackbird stood looking at the curtain of water in front of it for a while.

In the end, it dived into the water and had a good shake, before retreating and moving back and once again standing looking at the water. It repeated this several times and hopefully got wet enough to enable it properly preen it's feathers.

At about the same time I noticed this Green Woodpecker sitting absolutely still in the tree above. Unfortunately it was partly hidden and because it remained in this trance like state it remained so. They are quite capable of feeding in the snow, excavating a hole and then probing for their favourite ants. Steve's birds has some good pictures of one in the snow.

As if to prove me wrong in my theory, that peanuts had become unpopular as bird food, this female Great Spotted Woodpecker spent quite a long time feeding on the largest peanut feeder. It is still possible that my badgers will have to share their favourite food.

A Jay was up and down the garden a few times, but I didn't see it collecting food from anywhere, but I'm sure there was some purpose in it's activity. There are a couple of berry bushes, out of sight of the house so it may have been visiting them.