A very wet start to today, but mild. The garden was once again full of long-tailed tits, which are the most delightful birds to see, almost fairylike in their delicacy. A little more drumming from the great spotted woodpecker this morning, and both woodpeckers were seen, one at the feeders and the other not too far away.
A nice lunch with friends at Pontesbury. I love the Rea Valley and miss living there. Perhaps one day we'll move back. There wasn't enough time today, but sometime soon I shall repeat last year's spring walk around Pontesford Hill. The spring flowers there are always great, and I recall dawn chorus walks around the hill back in the days when we lived at Minsterley - the birdsong was wonderful.
I missed posting yesterday, so I haven't mentioned the tree creeper I saw the other day. I know there are always tree creepers around here, but it's rare to actually see one. You just have to be in the right place at the right time (though I did once know someone who - most unusually - had one that regularly visited his feeders). The mouse-like, jerky movements as the bird scurries up the trunk of a tree are a real giveaway, and I just caught that as I stood at the kitchen sink; that's the first one this winter, but two winters ago we had one prospecting the brick retaining walls in our front garden, and I was able to watch it for quite some time. That was a very cold spell, hence the comparatively unusual behaviour.
In all the rain this morning a mistle thrush was perched on the top of a tall cypress over the way from us, singing away. This bird is know for singing even when the weather is awful, hence the alternative name of stormcock.
No comments:
Post a Comment