rinse and repeat

 

07-01-25 Another very similar set of photos from another similar trip to Warriston. I swithered about putting these up as it is virtually the same story as the previous blog with many of the same models. However on this occasion there was no kingfisher and the token exotic bird was the sparrowhawk. Which would have made a nice change (haven't seen it in ages) if it had hung about to have its photo taken.

male bullfinch

blue tit

wren

great tit

pidgey widgey

The pigeons and squirrels are about equal in the pecking order, so it comes down to who is more pushy and is very much a confidence game. In this case the squirrel jumped up onto the stone already occupied by the wood pigeon and slowly elbowed it off, not very aggressively but still ended up top dog.

temps around freezing for a few days

crow sending out the "free food" call

This magpie is always first to arrive and fill its beak. It is the only one with scaley legs and feet which look a bit scabby. Scabby magpie = scagpie. It is the boldest of the team. Possibly a leg mite or similar, which I've seen on chaffinches before (at Cammo.) It does not hold this bird back which seems otherwise very healthy. And always first to the food which it hoovers up!

I think I saw the sparrowhawk fly over and land in a tree. I wandered over casually like I wasn't really stalking it, but is saw me, considered its options for a moment (while I tried to manouver to a place with fewer branches in the line of sight to get a better photo) then flew off. And that was that. Nice to see it - hadn't seen it in so many months I began to get the feeling it was no longer hunting in the cemetery.

Back to the tunnel area where there is often a few of the smaller garden birds. Unfortunately the light had gone for the day and it wasn't long before I did likewise.

this blackbird was unhappy about the squirrel hogging the food pile
(I then put out several piles so they could both feed at the same time.)

chaffinch

heron on the way home
(I was checking for kingfishers again!)

friendly robin on the riverside wall

bad photo of a dunnock but the only one of the day
so it made the cut