Fox News, That isn't false!

Look who came for a drink today! We are used to seeing this little fountain being used as a shower by Blue-tits.but it is the first time I've watched this Vixen there. It look as if she is feeding a litter somewhere.

Lazy Photography

Some lazy, armchair photography, sliding doors open and listening to 15 to 1. Watching the garden birds coming to drink and bathe.

A very wet Robin.

A tatty Blue Tit, but I'm not sure what is the problem.

Coming down to the feeders, about four feet away.

Cock House Sparrow

Dunnock

Blackbird, down for  drink.

Blackbird collecting food.

This was from the other side of the house, though a closed window. I had a quick dip in our exercise pool, trying to improve my leg muscles, came out, showered and sat at my desk. As I looked out of the window all the finches left the feeders in a panic, and the reason was staring me in the face. A handsome male Sparrowhawk.

Back to the armchair to watch a Wren collecting nesting material from round the pond.

Cock Chaffinch

Hen Chaffinch

Thsi Collared Dove is a short tailed version, perhaps having lost it to a local cat, or even the Sparrowhawk.

This is the full tailed version.

A smart Blue Tit.

Blue Tit and Goldfinch go head to head.

Last photos of 2016 - a few birds in the garden

 Male Chaffinches gain their colour as the soft tips of their feathers abrade to reveal a more colourful plumage underneath.

 Goldfinches stay nice and bright through the winter. Their melodic twittering is the main noise in the garden at the moment.

 Chaffinch

 Lots of Blackbirds around, form duller 1st winter females to handsome adult males with bright yellow bills.

 Blue Tits make use of the food and are happy feeding on seeds, fatballs or peanuts.

A much duller cock Blackbird with a dull bill. Not sure is this is a young local bird or one of the many continental visitors we host in winter.

New Tenants

I put up a House Sparrow nest box a couple of years ago.It was tucked away in a quiet shaded corner but seemed to be ignored.

 I was sitting in my study when I noticed a Sparrow collecting nesting material

. It flew upwards in the direction of the box and I went upstairs to check.

Watching, through the window. from the other side of the room meant the bird was completely unaware of me. She came in and out a couple of times and I left her to it.

Although people think of Sparrows as noisy, streetwise birds, they can be quite secretive when nesting.

It isn't unusual to  hear a Song Thrush singing when I'm in the garden, and quite often I find broken snail shells at the back of the garden, but for some reason we seldom see one  on the lawn. This one didn;t stay in view long, but there are a lot hidden feeding areas.

A splash of colour in the trees was the Brambling that's been around for a few days, I've only seen one, and I suspect it been the same one each day.

Although I have given the grass a "long" cut it is still long enough for the Bramblings head to disappear while it's feeding.

I think that there are two different Wrens in song round the garden. One spends time in the tangle that was the Rose Arch and one around the Top Pond.

Look What Katie Did

This is the carefully placed archway, leading to a "woodland Walk" in Pam's fabulously designed garden. This picture was taken during the 2011 St Margaret's Garden Safari on July 2nd

This weekend Storm Katie took a go at modifying it.

 This rather fine male Brambling has been decorating the garden for the last two days. Like Chaffinches Bramblings get their summer plumage by the wear on their feathers. 

  The soft ends erode to reveal the beautiful breeding plumage.

Not quite completely in summer plumage though, at its best it will loose the pepper and salt head and become glossy black.

The male Siskin on the peanuts was interesting in that for a while the only bird using peanuts in my garden has been Great Spotted Woodpeckers. 

Everything else sticks to Sunflower seeds or fatballs. This one Siskin remained faithful to the nuts while
his buddies ate the seeds.

Bigging up our garden birds.

I've been spending time going through the photos I took in Paraguay. Yes, I'm miles behind, but hopefully now catching up a bit. As I was looking at some of the spectacular birds that South America offers my attention wavered and I looked out of the window at the birds coming into feed outside my study. The light was horrible, but I managed a few pictures, that perhaps remind me that our garden birds are stunning in their own right.

Great Tit

Great Tit

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

Goldfinch