HIP, HIP HOORAY.....

....I got my camera back today!    (it was on Friday actually but it didn't scan as well!)

So, needing to test that it was working okay, I had two options...option 1.   to go out into the arctic conditions that seem to be passing as Springtime at the moment or option 2.  stay indoors in the warm and take pictures through the window of the birds visiting the garden.

Which option to choose was a no brainer really... so it was on with the thermals and the woolly hat and....ooops!!.. sorry,  I got carried away there, what I meant to say was ...on with the kettle, crank up the central heating, make the tea and then sit back and enjoy  the birds as they came down to feed in the garden!

After heavy snow on Friday evening/Saturday morning it snowed lightly, but continuously, for most of the weekend and the light was dull and grey meaning that high ISO's were required so not great images but at least I know that the camera is working okay once again.

Starling

Woodpigeon

This young Woodpigeon  was clearly on a steep learning curve as only a couple of days earlier it had crashed, not once but twice into my patio doors, thankfully with no apparent ill effects, and here it's sitting atop the bird table wondering what on earth all this white stuff is!

 

Goldfinch

female House Sparrow

Collared Dove

There are two Robins visiting the garden at the moment. I assume that they're a bonded pair as they tolerate each other and are feeding close together. A few days ago I saw, briefly, one of them clearly displaying to the other.

This female Blackbird, who I think is building a nest in a tall shrub at the end of the garden and 'sees off' any other Blackbird that comes into range, struck this weird rigid, contorted stance and held it for quite a few seconds. I don't know for what reason, maybe a threat or display?

I can't wait for the next couple of months to pass when we can move into Spring and experience some decent light during those warm sunny  days with the wild flowers starting to show their beautiful colours and the butterflies taking to the wing  and the build up to a long hot Summer....aahhh!....Oh!.. bugger!.... I forgot,  it IS Spring already!!

Take care and stay warm!

THE WEIGHT OF THE WINTER

Saw this today......

......Winter Aconite (eranthis hyemalis) living up to it's name and taking the weight of the winter on it's shoulders!!

A NEW GARDEN ORDER

During the recent cold and snowy weather there's been but one ruler in my garden... but today...things changed!

Up until 7.30 this morning my resident male Blackbird has been the ruler over the whole garden..seeing off all comers, size was no object be it Woodpigeons to Starlings or Robins to Dunnocks all were given short shrift!

Today, that reign came to an abrupt end when  he was ousted  by the arrival of a new ruler in the garden!

A solitary Fieldfare  has taken over as boss, seeing off the Blackbird, and anything else that came too close or stayed to long, at the earliest opportunity! Apart from the regular skirmishes and the odd preening session it has spent  the last seven hours (and still counting!) busily chomping its way through the apples I'd put out in the garden...it must be the healthiest Fieldfare for miles around! 

Just call me the boss!

 I think I need to buy some more apples!!

Once again, all these images were taken from the warm side of the double glazed windows.

IT SNOWED AGAIN TODAY......

........not heavily, but nonstop since 9am this morning! So what better things to do than indulge in another spell of bird watching from the warm side of the window!

The main item of interest was watching how my 'resident' male Blackbird has decided that he is boss of the patch and aggressively sees off all comers, from Robin and Dunnock to Starling and Woodpigeon, size is no object all get short shrift if they linger for too long!!

However some were allowed to stay for long enough to have their photo taken!

Pied Wagtail, a new garden visitor!

Even Mrs. Blackbird got the same treatment as all the rest!

Goldfinch, as many as 14 on or around the Sunflower Heart feeders.

Dunnock

Robin, the previous 'boss' of the garden!

Starling

Woodpigeon

 It looks as if it's going to stay cold and frosty for most of next week so I suspect there'll be lots more bird watching through the window to come!

Whatever your doing during this coming week make sure to stay safe and warm. 

A FEW FROM THE WARM SIDE OF THE WINDOW

As predicted it snowed quite heavily yesterday during the middle part of the day and left a covering of about three inches. I could see that the birds in the garden were having trouble getting any food from the snow bound feeders so during a let up in the snow I braved the elements and cleared  a patch on the ground and put down a good helping of seed.

As soon as I'd scurried back into the warm the birds began to come down to feed. After watching them for about ten minutes and being the 'sharp as a tack' person that I am it suddenly dawned on me ...photo opportunity!  So that's how I spent the next couple of hours...laying prone on the floor on the warm side of the patio doors taking lots of dark grainy out of focus photos...but, you know what?...apart from the crick in my neck I thoroughly enjoyed it...birding in the warm, a cup of tea close at hand ...you can't beat it!!


Here are a few of the better ones (with a massive amount of help from Photoshop!!)

Blackbird (male)

Blackbird (female)

 Blackbird (female)

 House Sparrow (male)

Collared Dove