Cheep shot

This house sparrow's only a few weeks old, and he has a full beard already. He's taken to perching just below the ridge of the shed while begging for food from his parents.  The sparrows usually perch in the (out of focus) tangle of rambling rose beyond where there's more safety from marauding sparrowhawks, so he's taking his chances.

It was a different sort of weather day after the long dry, sunny spell we've had.  There was a powerful hail storm at one point that left the ground looking as if it had snowed, and threatened to defoliate the expanding leaves of our little Gingko.  But we know that a Gingko can withstand a lot more than that, so it will be a brief setback.  I haven't checked yet to see if my young sweet corn plants were shredded by the same event, they've already taken a hammering from something large enough to move a fair amount of earth - a cat or a pheasant, just as well I have some replacements ready.