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We've never had such good results with bird feeders. At breakfast-time I looked
out and there were seven species around the feeder:
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| a goldfinch on the niger seed
feeder |
a wood pigeon on the tray |
a pheasant below |
a chaffinch pecking by it |
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a robin |
a starling |
and the usual sparrows |
 Bath
Time
This afternoon, at 3, a starling (left, preening)
becomes the first bird we've seen using the bird bath.
It was a Christmas present from Jill (the Jill who called on Tuesday with
Tessa) so it's been in place on the patio almost two months. A song
thrush was the first to land on it. Robin,
blue tit and starling have taken a sip from it but, until now,
birds have stuck to bathing in our garden pond.
 It's
a part of the sparrows' routine to bathe together in twos and threes at
the corner of the pond. The blackbird (right) is
also an enthusiastic bather.
Sparrows learn fast and I notice one of them taking a close interest
in the starling's vigorous bathing routine. 
Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk |
