The Lemon Fool

With the beginnings of Storm Emma moving in fast on the garden, I thought it would be a good moment to brave the icy blast and refill the bird feeders. (Again! We have four feeders, and they're getting emptied every couple of days at present.)

So I retreat to my window to watch the show begin, and what's the first bird that shows up? My little friend the lesser spotted woodpecker, which I haven't seen for about a year now. The RSPB says there are only 1,000 to 2,000 pairs left now - I reckon this one must have been hungry because he/she spent fifteen minutes solid, just going at the nuts.

Yesterday it was a nuthatch, which isn't all that rare,but which I still love because of its streamlined colouring and its sheer attitude, hanging on there upside down and simply daring any other bird to come within stabbing range of its beak. (They don't.)

I'm being well rewarded!

BJ

Ever had any rodents due to scraps being spilled on the ground?

bungeejumper wrote:


So I retreat to my window to watch the show begin, and what's the first bird that shows up? My little friend the lesser spotted woodpecker, which I haven't seen for about a year now. The RSPB says there are only 1,000 to 2,000 pairs left now - I reckon this one must have been hungry because he/she spent fifteen minutes solid, just going at the nuts.

Yesterday it was a nuthatch, which isn't all that rare,but which I still love because of its streamlined colouring and its sheer attitude, hanging on there upside down and simply daring any other bird to come within stabbing range of its beak. (They don't.)

BJ

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you are lucky , they are quite rare now , i've never seen one .

the nuthatch though is quite common , quite a big bird - and a joy to watch on the nuts by the window.

ps.

ive never seen a hawfinch either , i'm told there are some in east budleigh churchyard , where i hope to be next week.

JMN2 wrote:Ever had any rodents due to scraps being spilled on the ground?

Only squirrels. We set the feeders up so that the tree rats can't access them (by hanging each one from a dangling two foot wire). They had a go but soon gave it up.

BJ

far more prosaic here ... sparrows only. No tits for a few days even.

There's an owl that patrols the hedgerows in the fields next to us, but we've not seen it for a couple of days now.

didds