Slip, Sliding Away

A hungry little dunnock this morning in competition with the blue tits, blackbirds, robins et al! He did actually slide purposefully down that tiny bit of snow behind him on the bird feeder leg but the wings came out quick enough. A little shake and a quick check round to make sure no-one had seen the faux-pas and he continued checking out the food.

They are always bobbing about - busy busy - hopping hither and thither in the shrubs or on the floor. There were quite a few today maybe more noticeable because they were shown up against the white snow and all trying for the food in a small area. I like these birds particularly because of their song in the spring and if startled when asleep it will break into song in the middle of the night

The name dunnock means 'dun-coloured bird' and with it's slender insect eater's bill, sharp and thin, it is easily distinguished from the house and tree sparrows - apparently being the cuckoo's most common victim in the south of England!

Taking a little trip this afternoon we ended up going down a very long narrow incredibly steep lane; icy and no going back. On rounding the bend halfway down, the diff lock on, we saw the tyre tracks in the snow where a car had lost it, with the car abandoned at a jaunty angle on the corner at the bottom further down. I've got to say my heart was in my mouth as we neared the bottom of the road. Yes we did skid a few times then slew sideways rounding the bend and missing the other car by a few inches. Glad I wasn't driving!!