Birdlife and More

Early morning sun on the golden privet

The birdlife this week has been as addictive as a good TV noir series. Although there are no nests actually in this garden, as far as I can see, there are dozens in the trees all round. A magpie must have a nest nearby because I often see it strutting proprietorially through the grass. The crow, whose nest is a few gardens down, is not happy about this neighbour and as in  many a dysfunctional family, their animosity often comes to squawking matches and even blows. 

                       

The crow also struts  through the grass and the family resemblance becomes almost comic. 

            

                 The magpie and the crow, making the same tour of the garden on different days

The wood pigeons are greedy but also cumbersome. They are too heavy to use the bird feeders - one spent ages on a branch of the apple tree trying to reach the peanut feeder but never quite plucked up courage to actually launch itself onto it. 

                                                         

It's mate was obsessed with the seed feeder but had to content itself with enviously                                  watching the sparrows and blue tits and picking up fallen crumbs from the strawberry container 

below. I had protected the strawberries with upturned hanging baskets and the pigeon somehow 

became imprisoned inside one, so now I've covered the whole container with fleece. 

                                                                                                                  Young blackbird and sibling

Two young blackbirds have been checking out the area. I used to think they might be thrushes, because they are  brown and speckled and sometimes like to eat snails but I've never had a thrush here. Like other young creatures, they are far less frightened of me than their parents are. The young sparrows will carry on bathing if I walk past and the fox cub is far more curious than afraid, until I get the camera out and then it turns tail. 

                                                       

                                                                  Fox turning tail

The other day I spilled a heap of bird food on the patio while filling up the feeder. I thought that gradually the robins and blackbirds would enjoy it. But within ten minutes the squirrel was guzzling away and when I chased it away a tiny field mouse came whipping out from behind a flower pot,  took a quick nibble, streaked back to its shelter and back again and again. So tiny, so terrified and so brave!

Today looking up into the blue sky of the first warmish day, I saw  the swallows had arrived. I'm so happy to see them.