Blackbird contemplating feeding

The meetings went well this morning and we are managing the various works without any major upsets, which is a relief to me.    A new member of the council staff started work today and I was able to update her about the status of the neighbourhood plan which she will be involved with from now on.

When I got home this afternoon the weather had become overcast again and my plan to photograph the last days of the hellebores didn't seem very sensible given the poor light.  So I went out to the cabin and opened the window, pointed my long zoom at the refilled bird feeders and sat waiting to see what happened.

I want to catch a goldfinch to show its wonderful plumage, but they kept to the outer branches of the rhus tree ad were obscured or faced the wrong way.  Of the many other birds that appeared I liked this male blackbird which hopped about a lot, which I guessed was to check on the whereabouts of the many cats that hang about the gardens.

I rather liked this view.  When I looked closely at the image I saw that it has some white whiskers on either side of its beak, below its eyes, which I've never noticed before.