WHAT I SAW TODAY.....

[nuthatch]

They're really good I love the first one

[Jacksparrow]

Good given they were taken on a mobile phone. The female Mandarin is very dowdy compared with the Drake and the photo of them together shows this very well.

[Jacksparrow]

I had a first timer in the garden today I went out the back patio on a small job and as I did a Grey Heron landed on the fence right beside my ponds It quickly spotted I was nearby and flew off again but I may have saved my Frogs from being today's lunch.
Whilst having my midday sarnie there was and almighty thumping noise which seemed to emanate from upstairs. I shot away to see what had happened but got no further than the patio door where a very bemused looking young Collared Dove was trying to gather it's senses on the coconut mat by said door. It quickly recovered and flew off but what of the other noises? I scanned the garden and could just make out a grey head moving in some longer grass. A quick look through the binos revealed a young Woodie that was struggling to stand. It looked to be in bad trouble but I decided to let it be for the time being to see if it would recover. I looked again about 20 minutes later and although it had moved a little it appeared to be trying to flap it's wings but was getting nowhere. With the benefit of past experience I thought it had broken a wing and was not looking forward to dealing with it A happy ending however as shortly afterwards while my attention was elsewhere it vanished form its last seen position and was nowhere to be found. The lesson learnt was no matter how bad things look at first give what you presume to be badly injured birds a little time and they may not be as bad as they appear.

[nuthatch]

a Grey Heron - congratulations Jacksparrow

Glad you didn't have to deal with the Woodie and hope it and the Collared Dove recovered well

What an eventful morning you had

[Placido]

I love a happy ending . Good story, Jacksparrow - proves that Mother Nature may be best left alone, at least for a while .

[Jacksparrow]

The Heron was back again today! I'm getting a feeling it has had a undisturbed successful visit and fancies the same again.

[Placido]

You're not planning on doing anything drastic, are you ?!?!? Frogs are easier to come by ......

[peregrine]

Feeding frenzy out the front at the moment. Starling, House/Hedge Sparrows, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Great, Blue Tits and yes two Long-tailed Tits. Coal Tits were conspicuous by their absence. Even a Jackdaw tried to get in on the act.


PS - speak of the Devil, Coal Tits have now arrived. What a day.

[Jacksparrow]

You're not planning on doing anything drastic, are you ?!?!? Frogs are easier to come by ......

Good gracious me no! We are fond of our Frogs but birds will always come first.

[Jacksparrow]

A very noticeable upturn in bird numbers today. I think they have recognised that the Indian summer is at an end.