Ultrasonic Robin!

Although he looks obvious here, his subdued summer colours blended in quite well with the growing autumnal blend of the trees behind. I would have overlooked him entirely had it not been for the noise he was making.

Everyone knows and probably enjoys the song of the robin, at least the UK/European one - I don't know about the American one. But they of course have different calls for different reasons. I'd never heard this high frequency call before. Almost inaudible, a repetitive chirp at the limit of my augmented hearing.

Indeed, if I hadn't had my electric ears in I wouldn't have heard a thing. Google is inconclusive; speaking only of the American robin and the high frequency call being a predator alarm. To my inner hippy this one felt simply hungry, and there were no obvious predators nearby. I left some mealworms out.

Thank you so much for all your best wishes and kind comments on Janet's unplanned stay at the Hotel de Southmead. Her stent replacement happened and she's feeling and looking a lot brighter this morning. The transformation is remarkable, and very heartening.