Angry Bird

I spent the morning waiting for the starlings to pluck up enough courage to come onto the bird table while I was sitting in the doorway of the porch with the camera set up on the tripod. One did come down almost imediately and I got some good shots of it, but it only stayed for a couple of minutes and flew off again.

For the next two hours, they sat up in the top of the hawthorn tree and looked at me, while I sat in the porch and looked back at them. Occasionally, they flew down into next door's garden and then returned to their perches. Occasional blue tits came to the feeder near the back door and three long tailed tits came to the feeder by the shed, staying for about a minute.

Eventually, I went in for lunch, leaving the camera and tripod set up. I went back out after lunch and the starlings' hunger overcame their fear and they hit the bird table. At one point there were five on there at the same time and I got quite a few shots. I chose this one as the bird on the right decided the other bird was a bit too close and let it know in no uncertain terms, by jabbing it with its very sharp looking beak.

After a while, they all went again, so I packed the camera up and went for a short bike ride - the first for several months. I am resolved to keep this up and go for longer rides - although I don't know if my willpower will be able to cope with the long hills I will have to go up.

Thanks, everybody, for comments and stars on yesterday's blip. Much appreciated.