The usually private dunnock shows himself

I woke at about 4-30am this morning slightly worried about needing to get up early, but I was a good two and half hours out, so I managed to get back to sleep, although somewhat fitfully. Eventually I got up to make tea at 7-15am and set off at 8-15 to get my first Covid vaccination. It was very well organised with many volunteers giving directions and advice standing out in the torrential rain, which I’d feared would be snow according to last night’s weather forecast. Many others helped direct patients through the system and into the Rowcroft doctors’ surgery rooms in the middle of town. I was home by 9-30am and a fix of coffee was essential. I haven’t felt much more than a slightly sore arm so far!

I had a quiet morning and then Helena made a hearty brunch which I really enjoyed. The heavy rain receded into showers and light drizzle with strong winds. I watched the many birds through the windows as they coped with the conditions and were obviously very hungry.  As it is the RSPB Big Bird Watch weekend I was aware of the varieties around in the garden. So i was pleased to see two rather occasional visitors presenting themselves – a great spotted woodpecker and a greenfinch.

Later in the middle of the afternoon I took my camera out to the cabin and sat with the door open to watch and photograph birds. The light was terrible and it was lightly spitting with rain continuously. I didn’t actually count all the birds within one hour as I decided to leave that until tomorrow. But I did see at least forty goldfinches, two male and two female bullfinches, three blackbirds, two nuthatches, three robins, many chaffinches, countless blue tits and a pair of blackcaps and a coal tit. I didn’t even contemplate the crows, magpies, pigeons and jackdaws, or even the occasional overflying seagulls. 

One of the rather less obvious birds was this dunnock which normally hides amongst low lying vegetation, crawling about on the ground or in the midst of the shrubs. But today it seemed to be putting on a show and I must admit I’ve never seen one perch like this about six feet off the ground on the stump of the old rhus tree, with other birds flying all around it. Perhaps is it the onset of springtime fever, which many of the other birds are definitely showing.