One of the gang

When the gang of blue tits, great tits and long tailed tits came marauding through the woodland today, they had a coal tit in tow.  I don't see coal tits that often, although in years gone by they were reasonably regular visitors to the garden in winter, so it seemed only reasonable to feature it today.  

The backdrop is actually a brick wall, some way behind the bird, but I liked the way it seemed to colour co-ordinate with (what my field guide describes as) the bird's bright buff underside(!)  At this stage of my life I try not to think too hard about buff undersides - although I am sure we would all have had one once, but age and gravity do terrible things ;-) 

It is also Cathy's birthday today, and we were originally due to be away on holiday in celebration. The continuing post viral thing means that we've postponed that trip, and will be having a much more low key day. Hopefully in a month or so we will both feel a bit perkier and can reschedule our trip.

Finally, I've added my first extra of the year, a slightly ruffled looking buzzard perched on a branch.  The background is too busy, but I was pleased that I had been able to sneak around from a position behind the tree, to one in front of the tree, so as to have a view of the bird without anything between it and me.  The bird definitely knew that I was there, but seemed prepared to tolerate me as long as I moved slowly and didn't get too close.