My garden is largely left to itself so that the creatures that can avoid being caught by my cats (mostly mice and frogs) can thrive there. But I hadn't seen my robin redbreast for months, and the one lonely grey wagtail I'd seen a few times after last year's Big Garden Bird Watch (oh yes) was conspicuous by its absence.
So I bought a new bird feeding station to augment the feeders I have hanging from my washing line (so much prettier than washing, and the washing looks amazing covered in bird droppings) which mostly have very fat squirrels dangling from them. You all know what the squirrels look like, because back in Victorian times we introduced them over here as an ornamental addition to our gardens and a survival challenge to our own red squirrels. But I'd be interested to see if our birds are familiar. Just because they might have the same names, doesn't mean our respective species look the same.
Anyway, the robin reappeared approximately 5 minutes after I put up the new feeder, complete with dedicated robin feeding platform with mealworms and insects (NOT live, freeze-dried). It took the wagtail a further day to reappear. These are the two most exciting things that have happened to me for weeks. Saddo.
The great tit. Their call sounds like a squeeky bicycle pump.
A plain ordinary house sparrow - clever people, we've pushed this little love nearer to extinction, and no-one knows how.
The starling, with its beautiful irridescent plumage, is making a comeback to its former troublesome levels at which they could kill off a tree with their droppings because they flock to a roost. They are loud, chattery and argumentative, too. Gotta love 'em.
The grey wagtail scurries along, wagging its tail up and down. Strangely, there's a yellow wagtail as well, but despite appearances, this isn't it.
