Alert

Another day of heavy cloud and bitter cold, which is now getting quite boring. I'm still fighting the latest virus, and currently losing, so I spent most of the day in the warmth of my study, getting useful things done and trying to keep my bad mood to myself.

I discovered at lunchtime that the small garden birds are reasonably cool with me standing in the kitchen doorway with a camera, because I keep the jackdaws and squirrels at bay, allowing them to get some food. This little blue tit spent a while swooping back and forth between the feeding station and the philadelphus in the background, resting momentarily on top of the crook to check around for danger before dropping onto one of the feeders. Over time it gained enough confidence to make longer stops on the peanuts and fat balls, and by the time the cold drove me back inside it had fed pretty well.

Returning to my study I found a mug of cold tea on my desk, so I went straight back downstairs to make a fresh drink. Glancing out of the window I discovered that in the minute or so I'd been away, the garden had filled with jackdaws and squirrels once again, and the small birds were nowhere to be seen.