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Thursday 21 July 2011

Surprise Visitor

Just a brief late day mini blog.  No, the picture is not one I took - still haven't mastered the adding pictures from my camera technique - just a particularly accurate one of what i have just spent five transfixed minutes staring at.
How's that for a badly constructed sentence?

Have I mentioned that one of my nerdier hobbies is garden bird watching?
Yes, I thought so.  Nevertheless, I reiterate being a member of the BTO garden bird-watch scheme is part of my day-to-day routine, and has been for about ten or twelve years.

Most of the time a casual glance out of the window is rewarded by half a million starlings, slightly fewer house-sparrows a few tits and finches blackbirds and the odd robin and blackbird.  Every now and then however, my vigilance is rewarded by the sighting of something much rarer.

For the afficionados among  you (or fellow bird-nerds), this has included over recent years, a pea-hen,
a male pheasant, several reed-buntings (now a regular winter visitor), a greater spotted woodpecker - yesterday - a jay and today for the first time ever a beautifull male bullfinch.

Crows, jackdaws and red kites pale into insignificance by comparison with this bright little fellow.

I would add, my garden is tiny and an urban one, not a half acre rural one so this is a real cause celebre.

Forgive my enthusiasm, but my day has been a dull one filled with dreary household chores and this has brightened my spirits beyond belief.

Sad, I know, and i don't expect a cure any time soon.

8 comments:

  1. An unusual and beautiful bird sighting in my urban patch makes my day, too.

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  2. Lovely, Ray and you know far more about birds than I ever will. I must take issue with you about the red kite though :-) They regularly fly over our house in Wales nowadays and I've never seen a more majestic bird. Wonderful to watch and at least i can always recognise them....

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  3. Yes Penny
    It is a particularly rewarding feeling, as though one is being 'singled out' for this special privilege.

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  4. Perpetua Hi,
    I did not intend to imply that red kites are in any way less than wonderfull. They are fabulous to watch circling effortlessly on the thermals. It is just that here, in Buckinghamshire they are a very common sight and in this garden, at least, the bullfinch is not.

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  5. Don't be silly, Ray, of course you didn't! Now I can see the photo of the bullfinch (which wasn't showing yesterday for some reason) I can see exactly why you were so excited. Isn't he a beauty?

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  6. Yes Perpetua he is indeed a beauty, and I've spent quite a bit of time today hoping for a 2nd visit, but sadly it seems to have been a one-off. Blown off-course or something.

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  7. I've been away and a bit bothered about not feeding our regular flock of visitors. So it's lovely to be back. Birds are restful, delightful and beautiful, not dull at all.

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  8. Welcome back Freda.
    I'll bet that's what your regulars are saying too.
    It's good to know there are lots of fellow addicts out there.
    Not too sure about the restfull bit tho'. Off for Friday's choir rehearsal, just have to top up the feed-ball container again before i go.
    Third time today!

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