Stop Pointing That Bloody Camera At Me!

Do you think sometimes you have overstepped the mark?

Well, after a couple of days of gloom and having to look for alternatives to blip, it was back out in the garden this morning, to catch a bit of sunlight before it swung around and off the feeding areas.

I had not been sitting there ten minutes, when I had another Sparowhawk moment, exactly the same .. straight at me! My mum texted me to ask if I got a photo this time ... your eyes don't even get a chance to focus it is coming at you so quick, there's not a chance in hell on aiming the camera and the auto focus doing it's thing. The one thing I have learnt now, is to watch for the warning call and scattering of birds in next doors garden first. It might give me a vital heads up to take evasive action point and shoot!

This Starling almost became today's blip. I don't know if it is one of this year clutch that has now grown into it's first full winter plumage, I would like to think so. I had bought some live mealworms, and it never takes the Starlings long to find them. The poor old resident Robin is always to slow to get in there!

With the weather finally starting to get seasonal, the garden is really beginning to fill up with birds now. I have had record numbers of Greenfinches (they are still squabbling over the available ports on the feeder. I also have a pair of Blackbirds that have come down from the woods, now that the hawthorn berries have run out. This female Blackbird was foraging amongst the leaf litter for tasty morsels, or any mealworms the starlings had scattered during their feeding frenzy.

If you feed the birds, don't forget to put some fresh water out for them if you can. It is not just for them to drink, they need to bathe to keep their feathers in tip top condition. If it starts to freeze, use some warm water to de-ice it, or put a ping pong ball in there, it's continual movement will deter a icy layer forming.

There's snow forecast tonight here in South Wales. You never know, you might be getting something far more seasonal as a blip tomorrow!

All my Autumn/ Winter garden bird photos can be seen in this this Flickr set.