A Rare Visitor

Mrsfb came back from Keep Fit this morning with stories of tame robins, so as our robin was hopping about in the garden I wrapped up warm and popped outside to get a shot. Of course he immediately disappeared. In fact all the birds disappeared. I sat patiently for about 10 minutes waiting for something to return and was about to give up when this great spotted woodpecker made a fleeting visit. Not something we see often. For once I had the right camera and lens and got three shots, one of which was OK. He is a male, and I think might be the same one that is featured in my Birds Of Britain & Europe book. He looks identical anyway.

Just after this two Chinooks flew noisily over the house, very low and from different directions, both heading for Brize by the look of it. I didn't bother with a photo as I already had my woodpecker.

Camera club last night is best forgotten. I got nothing. The judge didn't appreciate my artistic submissions. He liked architecture, landscapes and nature, but not people, especially if they weren't looking directly at the camera. And he didn't get my two Morris Dancing images.

I was starting to lose interest in the evening when I was stirred by a stream of WhatsApp messages on my watch from our family group. Daughter#2 was asking people to guess what she had been up to today. This went on for 45 minutes and answers included 'listened to someone playing a bassoon in a hot air balloon', 'milked a goat', 'carved a wooden spoon', and 'bought a season ticket to Bayern Munich'. None of these were right. The extra shows that she'd actually got another tattoo - a green mosaic heart. It took two hours and looks rather good I think.

Off to buy some milk now.

One year ago:
A Fork