With the seed feeder and a small peanut feeder now in use at the back and the fat blocks at the front the birds are returning to the garden. At the front a blackbird perches beside the fat block, takes a peck, then has to wait for it to stop turning before taking the next. At the back blue tits, chaffinch, robin, dunnock and wood pigeon are in evidence although I think most of the seed is going to the squirrel. I think the expression "a rat with good PR" is very apt. Out and about I saw a kite over Ashridge Common for the first time. Driving up towards Milton Keynes there were a lot of black headed gulls and an unidentified hawk flying alongside the railway by the Linslade by pass. I am afraid that bird identification from behind the driver's wheel is confined to the really obvious specimens .
Once upon a time you could find me birding on the Thames marshes almost every weekend through the winter. For various reasons I am now seldom able to travel to good birding sites. I am lucky, however, to live in the beautiful Chiltern Hills and this blog is to document the birds that I see on my own patch.