Tongue-out Tuesday

It was a nice day today, and I wanted to go owling, but tomorrow is shaping up to be long and tiring, so I managed to talk myself out of it. Instead I searched the garden for invertebrates, and managed to find a few hoverflies, lacewings, and leafhoppers, plus an Opilione and a single Green Shieldbug. Then I went to Stratford in search of birds and steps.

The steps weren't as easy to find as I'd expected, because the river is well out of its banks and the south side walk was impassable. I had to veer away from the north bank for a while as well, because the area around the chain ferry landing was also under water, but I looped back onto the riverside path later, and walked along the RST boardwalk and terrace. It was here that I spotted something across the river that I'd never seen before, and which I didn't entirely believe until I'd shot a few photos and checked them in-camera: a juvenile Cormorant, calmly sitting on the back of a bench in the midst of the flooding on the Recreation Ground. I've previously seen Cormorants on the river west of Lucy's Mill Bridge, but this is the first time I've ever seen one so close to the centre of Stratford.

The Cormorant alone would have made the birding element of the trip worthwhile, but I also spent a very satisfying half hour watching small birds in the churchyard of Holy Trinity. I finally discovered where the Nuthatches are getting the seeds they seem to spend so much of each day caching in bark crevices, when I spotted this little coconut shell feeder hanging from one of the yew trees. It was constantly busy with Blue, Great, and Coal Tits, and also received regular visits from the Nuthatches and occasional ones from a Dunnock; and a Robin was also taking advantage of the charity by hanging out at the base of the tree and clearing up any spillages. The next time I go to Holy Trinity I'll take a contribution from our seed bin and top up the feeder, in payment for the pleasure I had this afternoon watching these little birds. Photographing them in the deep gloom of the churchyard was something of a challenge, but that, of course, is part of the fun.