Garden Drama

A little drama at our garden feeding station this morning. I looked out to see the male bullfinch perched on the top of the feeding station, while his mate was taking sunflower seeds below. I love to see the protective way in which he acts, though I can find myself wondering whether there is any great advantage to bullfinches in mating for life as they do. Anyway, a squirrel approached, and the bullfinch swivelled round to address the squirrel, which immediately and rather timidly retreated. Round one to the bullfinch; but the blackcap then appeared, flew at the bullfinch and drove it away, branch to branch, while the female bullfinch also quietly made her escape. This allowed the squirrel back in, so he straightaway took up residence, and the blackcap will fly at most things, but not at a squirrel. The local robin appeared, though, and he did exactly that, flying boldly at the squirrel, which, however, this time stood his ground - though when I came back to the window a minute or two later, the squirrel was gone and the robin in residence, happily feeding.

Meanwhile, we have had some incredibly loud drumming from our greater spotted woodpecker this morning. He must have found a good resounding branch or pole quite close by, though I couldn't manage to see him (or her, perhaps: both sexes drum, but it's the male who drums loudly at this time of the year to attract a mate - and that drumming is reported to be "astonishingly loud", which this morning's drumming certainly was!). The sound must carry a considerable distance, even in dense woodland.