At least two Jays in the Garden

Although I'd seen two Jays in the garden in recent weeks, the two Jays in the garden yesterday and this morning are making me think one is a parent bird and one a juvenile.    The plummage on the juvenile, if that's what it is, is much smoother and less ruffled.   No doubt reflecting the role of parent and young!   In the first image the question occurs as to how many wings does one need?    And the question is answered voluably in the second.....

Use of the Bird Bath

For some reason(s) birds appear to be making fuller use of the bird bath in front of the kitchen window recently and until I started taking such photographs, I hadn't realised just how bedraggled bathing birds can look!  The first two images are of a Dunnock and the rest are of a Blue Tit - the more bedraggled - perhaps recently fledged?

Visitors to the Garden

The wider range of visitors is of Birds but numerically there are so many Squirrels in this garden and they certainly shift a huge number of peanuts.   I'll post photographs of them separately.  

I had suspected that there could be a pair of Jays here, and eventually had confirmation.   Magpies are assertive/aggressive to other birds and among themselves.  The iridescence of Magpies is amazing as is the new skill they are trying to acquire of  feeding from peanut holders!   I hadn't seen Crows here until recently and, given the chance, and without much grace, they cram their 'mouths' with food!   I chose not to put food on the bird table this morning to discourage them from returning.   Starlings are not much better and they don't come to the garden much either.

Gannets at Bempton Cliffs - June 2019

I've just completed a book of photograps of a trip I did 'up north' and 'over the border' last June and these photographs of Gannets were taken over a couple of days - from a boat and from the top of the cliffs.   I think I'm right in saying these Gannets are the only ones breeding on a mainland cliff in the UK.   Have yet to seen them on and around Bass Rock.

I was horrified to see just how much blue plastic was being used as nesting material in the third photograph.    A sobering thought.........

Bluebells!

I'm very happy to have Bluebells making their home in the garden and also Pinkbells.  

Some will know that the wonderful VW T4 Campervan I bought a couple of years ago is called 'Bluebell' and I can't wait to give her her head and for us to venture out once more.   There is a story about her being called Bluebell because the couple who found her for me already had a red VW T4 Campervan which is called 'Poppy'.

Lilacs in the Garden

I have a sister in law who enjoys Lilacs and here are three different ones from this garden.   I think there is a superstition that it doesn't bring 'good fortune' if Lilac is picked and arranged in water in the house.   I'll leave them in the garden!

Supermoon last night

There have been three supermoons in the last three months.    The first one was 9/10 March but I didn't take a photograph of that one.   The one below was taken 6/7 April and was referred to as a 'pink' moon and the below that is the 'flower' moon which was seen last night, 6/7 May.   The final image of last night's moon was taken through the leaves and flowers of the large Walnut Tree in the garden.   I've edited the image to include not only the silhouette of the leaves and flowers against the moon, but also the foliage of the tree surrounding the moon.

Morning Jay

I have tried several times to capture the flight of a Jay approaching the bird table and this morning was as successful as any.   There has been a pair in the garden in recent weeks and now I need to check where there might be a nest and whether young will be brought into the garden.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

So many of the garden birds I photograph through the kitchen window are on bird feeders, so I was particularly delighted when this morning there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the eucalyptus tree when I was at the kitchen sink.   This is a male bird because of the red patch at the back of the neck.

Apple blossoms in the garden

I think this blog is up and running again.   It's now up to me.......

The apple blossoms this year have been beautiful and Apple Blossom is one of my favourite, if not the favourite blossom.   I have 3 different Apple Blossoms in the garden and here are some images.