Common Nature

It's a phone photo but that's all we had with us when a flock of energetic long tailed tits descended on our parked car and started pecking at the windows. Youngest and I were startled and delighted!

One of the advantages of giving up on the battle with the dandelions in the lawn is that it means more finches visit the garden, including this handsome bullfinch.

( +1 with a beak full of seed )
(Photos taken back in May 2022 but I forgot to post them.)

It was snowing all yesterday in rural Worcestershire, UK, so the peanut feeder was especially busy. This industrious blue tit was very pleased with its success.

A mother duck and two ducklings came to dabble in the overflow of our lock, to groom, and to have a nap. I may have taken quite a lot of photos.

( ”+14” )

Eldest and I were just finishing a walk on the towpath when we spotted a pair of swans doing a slow dance in the section of canal next to our house.

We watched them for a while and then it appeared they were finished, so we put the camera down and moved closer. We were a little shocked when the male jumped on top of the female, hence why some of the photos under the cut are a little blurry, as above!
( +12 )

This is the first orange tip I've seen so far this year, in Norfolk, UK, in the out-laws' garden. How's the butterfly-spotting where you are?

Seagulls: "Hr-RMM."
Wood Pigeon: "...Wot?"

Some people might call this "failing to mow the lawn properly". I like to call it "ensuring the local finch population has an adequate supply of thistle seed so I can take nice photos from just inside the back door".

I thought the community might like to know the conclusion to the Saga of the Visiting Racing Pigeon in Worcestershire, UK.

Pigeon stayed with us and roosted on our roof for about a week, drinking from our pond and nibbling around the base of the seed feeder. We finally managed to read the full code on the ring around its leg, and phoned up the Racing Pigeon Society. They put us in touch with a very excitable gentleman from Norfolk who told us that Pigeon had been part of the Terrible Racing Pigeon Loss Event in Peterborough, during which thousands of birds mysteriously failed to return after being released for a race.

Said gentleman asked us to continue feeding Pigeon, and allowing it to roost, which of course we did. Two days ago, it vanished as abruptly as it had arrived.

Tonight, we received a phone call from the same gentleman. Pigeon has flown home! Apparently it arrived around the same time as another of his birds, which had ended up in Sussex, so he's hopeful of recovering at least some of his losses. He sounded delighted, and he thanked us for looking after Pigeon.