Late Autumn Garden Birds

Sunrise was at 7:42am today. It will set again at 3:57pm. A daytime of little more than 8 hours. The temperature hovers around 8℃ with a humidity level of 81% and a gentle Northeasterly of 6mph. Not much of a day to be out and about. The garden birds however are very active. Their need for food increases exponentially during these cold, short days.

The local Robin becomes more aggressive, chasing every Dunnock in sight. He is a feisty little so-and-so, determined to keep other birds out of 'his' garden. The Goldfinches devour feeders full of sunflower seeds and drink copiously. Water is just as important for survival. The Starlings are back in force and love the fruit suet pellets. Their antics as they hang onto the feeder is amusing to watch. Last week a small flock of Long-tailed Tits dropped into the lilac tree. These gorgeous humbugs are a joy to see, although an all too infrequent occurrence in my garden.

Over the weekend I dug over some ground at the bottom of the garden which resulted in a considerable number of earthworms coming to the surface. The Blackbirds thought that Christmas had come early.

The bird-table attracts the larger birds including Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Jackdaws and Feral Pigeons resplendent in iridescent plumage colours. Blue-tits make foraging visits to feeders and the bird-table.

They all brighten up a dull, late Autumn day.

Starling

Jackdaw

Goldfinches