Lesser Redpoll

The weather in the east of England seems to have settled into a state of perpetual chilly gloom, with added rain this evening. The frogs have been spawning since the end of February and don't seem to have been put off, and the feeders are increasingly busy as natural food supplies dwindle and they are preparing for the rigours of reproduction.

This is a pretty awful shot, taken early in the day when it was scarcely light, but shows one of three Lesser Redpoll that were eating sunflower seeds. We have recorded these pretty winter visitors from the garden previously some years ago, when a flock hung around in the top of our Scots pine tree for a week or so, but it's the first time I've seen them on the feeders. 

In the late afternoon Pete and I accompanied Sarah and Ben to a second viewing of a house near the city centre. It's in an ideal location and although it needs some work doing, there didn't seem to be anything insurmountable. This evening they've had their offer accepted, so now they can arrange for the next steps. Exciting, but also quite scary. I'm so glad that they'll be within walking distance - we've had both of them living  with us since the first lockdown, and I know I'll miss their company and the excellent meals they cook!