Fieldfare

Fieldfare
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

AUTUMNWATCH TIME!!!

Housemartin nest

We've had a slightly different nest this year - housemartins

Housemartin lining nest
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

more photos on flickr 

Juvenile blackbird

Juvenile blackbird
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

... possibly?

maybe a fledgling from the nest about 8 feet away from this fence ...

Benny and the Birdfeeder

Mine, all mine!
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

Benny brought us a sparrow this morning.

Hammering Rain

Hammering Rain
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

I love weather like this!

So glad we were inside, unlike my neighbours who got a bit wet walking the dog

Three chicks!

Three in the bed ...
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

Trying really hard to keep the cats distracted as much as possible .. time will tell ...

Beady Bird Eye

Beady Bird Eye
Originally uploaded by pebblesfromheaven

She's still there... it's 11 days since the first egg was laid ...

Hen blackbird on the nest

Hen blackbird on the nest
Originally uploaded by pinkpebbleperson

Here's my hen blackbird on her nest this morning (don't worry I used the zoom! and it was daylight so glad OK to use flash)

Saw 4 eggs in there last night

The blackbird's nest

Nature is daft sometimes.

Remember that egg I found on the wall recently? It's been followed by a nest in the daftest of places - two feet from the ground above the place where the catmint used to be. It's been built inside a buddleia plant I've been trying and failing to keep under control. The egg I found was on the wall just beside the bush, so at least I know why it was there now!



So on Monday, there was just one egg in the nest, yesterday another appeared, now there's a third. I think that white bit is cat fluff.



So either the female blackbird is very very clever and has worked out that our two cats are slightly decrepit (until they hear baby blackbirds I bet) or more likely it's her first nest.

She's hardly ever sitting on it, either. Hmmm time will tell!

The nest is beautifully made, though.

New Garden Visitor - A Goldfinch!

I've said before that where we live we struggle to see any interesting wildlife.

Well this year we have seen a significant increase in visitors, alongside the annual housemartins nesting two-doors-up, we've had blackbirds, sparrows, blue tits and starlings, the usual average British garden birds you might say.

Well last night I spotted a stranger - he was sitting on the apex of the house opposite singing his heart out - a lovely twittery song somewhere between blackbird and skylark. He flew off with spurty swoops onto another roof out of sight. I was convinced he was maybe a baby housemartin, mostly because it was about time they fledged and I had no idea whether they looked the same as the adults or what.

This morning he appeared again and I had time to get my camera - here he is

I've now identified him as a goldfinch - a bird that used to be kept in cages because it was pretty and had a lovely happy song (this RSPB site has a recording of the twittering).

How cool is that!!

This weekend I have been mostly....