Birds

[louiselux]

Bird activity in the garden has reached a peak with the fruiting of the yew trees. A gang of starlings has moved in to the one nearest the house and is causing chaos, charging about like teenagers at a party and making their conversational clicking noises. There are at least four blackbirds - two pairs- a pair of songthrushes, which I'm very happy to see back in the garden, two pairs of greenfinches, assorted robins, great tits, wrens and blue tits. Lastly, a black and red greater spotted woodpecker has been coming to feed on the nut bag. It's lovely, really pretty with a vivid red backside and black and white striped lower wings. They're all stuffing their faces, fattening up for the winter.

There's also a pair of jays that live in the trees further down, but they're very shy. Last week M saw a red kite circling over the swimming baths. It's the first year we've seen them in town since they've been re-introduced to the nearby Chilterns, but as they're a scavenging bird (well, they'll eat anything of a manageable size- pigeon, small rabbit, pizza- alive or dead) it was only a matter of time before they moved into the outskirts. I've seen them as far up as Leamington Spa too, so it looks very much like they're breeding and spreading succesfully.

Apart from birds there's the intermittent wheeee - kaboom! of kids letting fireworks off in the back gardens - in day light. It could be worse, and has been. Last week someone was letting them off on the street outside our house-- right opposite the petrol station. Great.

tboy- I got your parcel! I could tell what it was just from the scent of vegemite that came wafting out when I opened it. Thank you! The manly card is wonderful. I stuck it to the fridge so I can admire their manly and heterosexual grappling with the *ahem* ball.

Comments

[lisa-bee.livejournal.com]

Oh, such pretty birds! That must be so incredibly awesome.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love them so muhc. It's bird central at the moment - they're everywhere, feeding before the winter sets in for good, I think.

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

You have yew trees? I'm finding myself quite charmed by the fact that the original Roman settlement here on the Ouse was called Eboracum, place where the yew trees grow.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

I never knew that - I wonder if there are any ancient ones still around. Well, maybe ancient is doubtful, but there must be some there that are very old. We've got two - both quite large and both absolutely covered in red berries. They're very pretty.

[tboy.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad it got there. Although if you could smell it, it sounds suspiciously like it got a bit squished *g*.

I had to search for that card! You'd have gotten the vegemite sooner, but I refused to send it without trying for a slashy pic of some kind ;-). It is very manly indeed, isn't it? *g*