Birdwatching

1000 on Sun 27 Jan 2008

Temp:6.1 ° C

Wind:SW 3 mph

Pressure:1034 hPa
Tendency:Rising
(met office)
bright and calm, blue sky.

A first for our garden is a pair of Chaffinch, the male and female are taking some seed from a table placed a couple of feet from the ground.
Blackbirds and Starlings are pecking and prodding at the discarded Apples on the ground.
The Blackbird seems to enjoy the seed as well.
Blue tits make occasional forays to the peanut baskets and carry the nuts to the security of a tree nearby.
Sparrows arrive and depart in small parties for snack at the hanging feeder or a forage around the shrubbery.
A lurking cat sends all the birds off in a panicked retreat.

Squirrel nuts

If you want a Squirrel proof nut feeder, don't bother with the plastic type.
This one was no obstacle to the resident Mr Nutkin

Stonechat

A single Stonechat spotted on the top branches of the Hawthorn tree

winter birds

A pair of Redwing spent a few minutes in the Hawthorn tree taking a breakfast snack on the ripe Haws.

Gold Finches

Refilled the Niger seed feeder tube today. Niger seed is derived from a relative of the the sunflower and is prefered by Goldfinches. It is a small black elongated seed that requires a special feeder with pairs of small slits in the tube.