Monday's Photograph (no painting today )

It has got hotter and hotter today. The temperature inside my bungalow because of my fans etc, was now lower than the temperature outside. But this meant I couldn't open any doors or windows wide open today or I would lose that coolness. It went up to 26C for a brief spell outside.

It is now 24C in my bedroom and inside, and I am having to up the fans again.

I am still waiting for this ice cube maker I ordered last night...it is supposed to come before 10pm. No ice cubes in the shops this morning...

I said earlier, or yesterday that there are literally flocks/swarms of all different varieties of small birds coming to visit my garden every day. It is almost like they are are actually living in my garden. It is the same group of birds. I more or less assumed that birds flew around in groups of their own variety. Although I have seen sparrows fly in with the bluetits, or whichever group they were flying with. There must be 8 or more varieties of birds in this group that fly in and out of my garden, but appear to have taken residence in my garden for the moment. There seems to be some sort of reciprocal arrangement between them.

Then there are the two new bird's nests. One is in my ash tree (top left), the other is in my elder tree (top right). These have happened since AH neighbour stupidly cut down a tract of my hedge on my side of the dividing wall, causing Mrs Blackbird to lose her babies and other nests destroyed. But nature has sprung back.There has been a lot of activity, and I believe there are another two nests. I have not seen Mr Blackbird since this disaster, but I have seen Mrs Blackbird, building more nests always accompanied by these two dunnocks, and Mrs B appeared to be feeding new babies. BUT this is the amazing bit. Mrs Blackbird has had a pair of dunnocks helping her and with her almost 24/7, or at least every time I see Mrs Blackbird. The three of them feed together on the suet in harmony. I am assuming something must have happened to Mr Blackbird when AH neighbour chainsawed my hedge down unbeknownst to me. But Mrs Blackbird was expecting, and had no Mr B to help.

The goldfinches are getting used to me, and one will sing from a branch next to me now. Initially they rustled and flew away if I even moved a finger.

The nest in the ash tree is made with dried willow leaves on the outside. This one is being used by a very small brown bird, but it darted so quickly I could see nothing definite. However, the flock of birds is protecting it. I don't know who is using the other nest.

Can you see the uplighter lamp in the middle?
This is the one that burst into flames early this year, or late last year. I made it into a bird feeding station and attached it to the rose trees. In the concave top (which initially held the light)  I put in some grass turf, expecting it to grow, which it did when it was raining, but it has now dried out, and every morning this little flock of birds queue up to have a dust bath.

You can see Popeye looking for shade! Bottom 3 photos...

My ice maker has just arrived and I need to wait an hour for the coolant to settle...

EDIT: This afternoon I thought Popeye was escaping out of the garden. So, I quickly grabbed what was sticking out of the hedge which was a black tail. But the indignant face that turned to look at me was a most beautiful sweet little black face..."What did you do that for?" this cat said...
I apologised and she ran away. She looks like my cat Jade who died about 10 years ago.
But obviously I haven't upset her because she has just sneaked into my bedroom, just like Merryweather does, And eaten a bowl of wet cat food and some dried cat biscuits...

This cat population is increasing...