Top of the Tree

I start drawing this tall Leylandii cypress at my mum's but I'm soon distracted by the three coals tits which closely inspect the branches of the neighbouring conifer. A greenfinch takes over the perch at the top of the Leylandii which the wren has just been singing from.

Wood pigeons and magpies fly about the garden.

Wren

Coal tit

Coal tit

Turf Wars

The wood pigeons were fighting it out on our front lawn this morning - we were woken early by the clattering of wings, and, this evening they're there again, strutting puffing, nodding and bowing and stretching wings in a 'you-want-a-fight, mate?!' manner. The one on the lawn tries to look cool by pecking at the turf but keeps looking over its shoulder at the one that is walking up and down on the drive looking menacing (as much as puffed-up pigeons can look menacing).

The tension mounts and they come together in a clinch. A white feather goes flying, probably pecked from one of the neck patches of one of the combatants.

The skirmish is soon over and the pigeons return to intimidation at a safe distance, one on the drive, the other on the lawn.

Meanwhile a sparrow has been watching: it hops between the pigeons, picks up the white feather, brandishes it proudly in its beak and flies off with it.

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk