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Magpies

The local magpies have been expressing a lot of interest in the blackbirds' nest and the alarm calls have sent me out into the garden to chase them off on a couple of occasions. I was rewarded for the good deed later with an excellent view of a great spotted woodpecker on the feeder in the front garden.

The dunnocks seem to have lost interest in the honeysuckle so I imagine that they found it too close to the back door, and to my potting bench, for a nest.

Goldfinches and chaffinches have been regular visitors along with blue and great tits and of course the resident robin.

One nice sight last week was a buzzard and a kite in the air together over Botley. With them both circling it was a great opportunity to study the differences in the silhouettes.

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