Birds everywhere

Back to a dull grey light today, particularly when I went shopping at the Bisley Farm Shop. I bought some of their fine fresh vegetables, as well as a few home reared, and made, pork sausages and of course some loads more sunflower seeds for the birds in our garden.

I took a variety of shots which you can view HERE if you are interested.

A horse with a rider trotted down the road as I was leaving the shop, then entered a field and cantered off in to the distance. No good shots. I decided to drive across country to Gloucester to buy tofu. On the old pre-Roman trackway from Bisley to Painswick, I stopped at the entrance to an old farm, whose unusual stone gateway I have often admired. A few hundreds yards further down the slope, I saw a pheasant on the top of the hedge, only a few yards from another smaller bird also on the hedge-top. I didn't know what it is called and still don't. I thought it might be a jay, but it was too small and the head was the wrong shape. It was pink, but not a bullfinch. Does anyone know what it might be?

Across the valley I drove up through Slad, and just at the end of the village, I saw a buzzard soaring up over the ancient woodlands at the top of the ridge, near Bulls Cross. I stopped and tried a few shots, but somewhat in vain. For the next few miles I logged in my mind a variety of possible blip opportunities for when the weather improves. Each of the Stroud Five Valleys offers such differing subjects.

Once I reached home, loaded with a stack of goodies and after a bout of cleaning of the fridge, Helena rewarded me with a cup of tea. I sat with Bomble around my neck, and then on my lap. He was a bit disconcerted having just had a bundle with another cat outside the front door. Helena thought he had caught a bird, as there was blood and fluff, but it was actually cat's hair, and not apparently Bomble's.

Then I saw a movement in the large ash tree at the bottom of the garden and picking up the binoculars confirmed it was the Great Spotted Woodpecker who sometimes hangs about. I went upstairs to get my camera and by the time I returned it was still there. There were many birds all flying about in that tree. Three magpies landed on a branch off the trunk, near where the woodpecker was clinging in classic pose. It then hopped off and I lost sight before it flew off. Were the magpies annoyed by its presence? Surely not.

I then went on to the patio and photographed a few other birds. As it got darker, a thrush flew down to our fence post, checking that there were no cats in range, very sensibly. It then hopped over next door to Jacqueline's feeding station, for her rather special coconut shells filled with her home-made mixture of fat and seeds. Christina recently described it as looking like frozen vomit. This shot wasn't quite as sharp as the others, but I liked the movement.

I decided to offer a gallery of some of these images, including a few from yesterday., although they are probably not in order! I hope you like them. I would be interested to hear whether you think it would be better to put out-takes on Flickr, instead of on my web pages. I suppose I could then share them with more people. What do you think?