This is the first day of the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch in which you are asked to note down all the birds you can see in an hours period. Huttonian is not much help as the birds he knows for sure are limited to the Greater Spotted Woodpecker, sparkling black jobs,brown jobs, lighter coloured jobs, wood pigeons and collared Doves. The Wife is the dab hand at this and the hour for her starts when the Greater Spotted Woodpecker arrives in all is glory.
The image is of our woodpile -being a murky dreich day it is difficult to see what is going on but click on picture for a better view. Two smallish things are enjoying the seed dispenser (Goldfinches apparently) The GSW turned up as I turned away;typical . I can't help hoping that at the height of the count (so far I am told-the GSW, 3 chaffinches, 2 goldfinches, 6 starlings-the sparkling black lot-a wood pigeon, a collared dove, 2 sparrows, 2 dunnocks no way can I tell them apart) a sparrow hawk might turn up. Any Goldfinch then consumed would still count for census purposes. so that is all right then.
You can just see our Pear tree in the gloomy background. Sorry just off message to the far right, use your imagination please.No partridge so far but Cocky the Mail on Sunday virtual Peacock might yet arrive to stand up (and be counted)
PS Spell checker suggests Rosebush for RSPB. Nope, I have checked, all devoid of birdlife.
PPS And then suddenly there it was: Immature Sparrow Hawk orMerlin. The wife is not sure and neither were the other birds who did not hang around to find out. A clicked on image will be profitable. After 20 minutes it is still with us thus seriously disrupting our bird watch-Rosie the Cat where are you when I need you?
