A watchful stag

This morning there was the most beautiful sunrise - that is two mornings in a row of a stunning pink sky. I was awake at 7am and wondered if I should dash down the road to where I can get a better view of it, but I realised by the time I was dressed and got there, the best of the colour would be over. Although the sun rises at about 7.45am these days, the best colour happens at least 30 minutes before that.

We decided to go walk at Bushy Park today. Xena enjoyed all the deer smells at Richmond Park so much yesterday we decided to do the same today. There was no parking in the car park so we had to park outside the park and walk in. I photographed the deer again - see extra for Xena looking very concerned at why she was being left behind when I was with the deer!

We had lunch out today at our local pub, their food is excellent, more than just regular pub food and always beautifully presented.

After lunch I did the Big Garden Birdwatch - it's an annual count of garden birds for the RSPB, you count the maximum number of a species that lands in your garden within an hour. This year I counted 6 bluetits, 2 wood pigeons, 5 ring necked parakeets, 1 nuthatch, 1 sparrow, 2 robins, 1 magpie and 2 blackbirds. Early in the morning the garden is full of crows and magpies, in fact they have made such a mess of our lawn by shredding it as they dig up the early morning worms. Our gardener said he has never seen birds make such a mess of a lawn before, we are not sure how to repair it. So it was typical that for the birdwatch those birds that are always around were actually absent!

Tommy and Inca are having dinner with Luke and Meriel in London tonight before they go to Cambridge. It's really nice that the brothers socialise together. Poor Luke has had an awful weekend of studying all weekend for his exams in 2 week's time, and then has to be at work by 7am tomorrow morning for another long 12 hour day.