Blast!

Although the 'currant bun' is shining, the wind is still greater than Beaufort 4 and the nets are flailing about. They are furled and tied back but that hasn't stopped them from advertising their presence. It also looks as if this month is going to be as wet as July was.

For the last week or so, the garden has been full of birds in the early mornings. There are 10-12 Goldfinches with smaller parties following on while I sit there eating my breakfast; there could well be 30 different birds and quite a few are ringed among the early risers. Collared Doves now number 9 individuals all at once, some on the feeders, some on the ground. With plenty of food on the deck, why do they hog the feeder trays, ports and lids? The Starlings are back after a lean couple of months, gardenwise. Up to now, they have been feeding on the verges and the large landscape areas around the 'new build' and the autumn sown fields beyond.

I haven't seen a Great Tit in the garden for 'yonks' but a couple of Blue Tits come mid-morning. The 'Lottis' come regularly too but are ignoring the fat-balls and feeding on the various roses instead. With day-time temperatures up around 14-15C, I'm not surprised that there are insects to be had still. Another new-comer is the Magpie, coming once or twice daily but not on the feeders or bothering to go down on the deck. It has been a couple of years since we regularly saw one of those in the garden. The same goes for Sparrowhawk although we did have one on consecutive days in early autumn; he left empty handed.

Down below on the lawn and in the shrubbery, the several Dunnocks and the lone Robin clear the small seeds and the Robin gets an extra treat in the form of sultanas that I put out for "him" and the Blackbirds. The latter are non-existant at the moment and I am beginning to think that they have emigrated to 'warmer climes' in southern counties and that the 'continentals', which we have been catching at the country park, are not yet being forced into gardens. The Hawthorn trees are still laden with berries and there are plenty of other fruits as well.

One old friend, living not too far away, is getting Blackcaps and even had 3 males the other day; previously he was seeing females. The Whitebeams and Crab-apples are laden with fruits along our road, just ripe for a party of Waxwings! - but we won't be seeing them until after Christmas.