Skip to main content

Winter is Coming

I had to replace my seed feeder last week. I had just started putting out sunflower seeds when an over eager squirrel ripped one of the feeder ports right off.

I included a replacement with a protective cage with my winter feed order which did attract the very occasional blue or great tit. I thought that the finches wouldn't appreciate the cage so added a second feeder to the set, replacing a flutterbutter feeder. I had become unhappy about using that product, despite its popularity with the starlings later in the season, due to the use of plastics. I looked out of an upstairs window just as the light was starting to fade this afternoon and saw that the new feeder was getting well used although the squirrel proof one was being ignored. 

The old man's beard growing through my neighbours leylandii hedge seems to be popular as a source of cover and a wren was investigating the seed heads. For a time a robin became very proprietorial about the feeders, keeping the other birds off, but went in pursuit of a rather persistant great tit. When the coast was clear a steady stream of blue and great tits came out of the hedge with their usual "grab and run" style of feeding. We also also had a pair of coal tits in the garden together at one point which was unusual, they do turn up erratically but normally as singletons. 

 I had been planning to cut back the overhanging old man's beard but seeing how well used it is I will leave that for the moment.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

No Choice

Taking my usual walk today it was striking how the autumn colours had come on in the last few days. When the sun came out I really regretted not having the camera with me. There wasn't much to see in the way of variety or numbers of birds. A couple of probable skylarks put up on a cultivated field but the gem was naturally a red kite. Circling over the fields behind my house at tree top height it finally came over my head as I reached the edge of the field. Living where I do I suppose that I should be blasé about them by now but when one comes overhead there is no choice. I still just stop and say "wow!"

Harvest

The arable fields between Ley Hill and Latimer have been harvested over the last couple of days. This morning I saw a group of yellowhammers in the middle of the road by a field gate. From the look of things they were eating spilled grain. Instead of flying into the hedgerow they flew away from me along the road at windscreen height. I haven't seen much else recently apart from a distant glimpse of a partridge and the occasional red kite.

Finally

 Health issues mean that I haven't been paying any attention to my blogs but I was roused from my afternoon cup of tea today but a most unholy racket. Yes the parakeets have finallyarrived in my part of Chesham with a flock of five in the tree in my neighbours garden. It had to come eventually as they have been in Rickmansworth for years. Not much else happening apart from the usual circling kites and the occasional buzzard. I haven't seen anything eating my rowan berries but the tree is being steadily stripped. Usually its a mix of wood pigeons and blackbirds. Collared doves seem to be back in this end of the village as I saw a pair while waiting for the bus this week. They used to be garden regulars but hadn't seen any near the house for years.