A Greenfinch flying above the garden

I have been coughing, wheezing and spluttering all night and I rose early to avoid disturbing Helena. I did go back to bed for a short nap while she had a shower and then I got up and joined her for coffee while she planned her lesson for this afternoon's teaching job.

I was procrastinating, as I should be getting on with some council work, finishing the report and the minutes of our last working group meeting. But feeling rather ill doesn't make it easy. So when Helena left for work I stayed sitting at the dining table looking out of the patio door at the birds who were visiting the feeders. As soon as I got my camera there seemed to be fewer of them, and certainly no goldfinches who I was hoping to catch as a flock munching on the sunflower seeds in their yellow and red finery.

Bomble surprisingly came to sit beside me, even nuzzling up to the camera lens and sat there regarding the birds too I suppose. I did see the usual robins, blackbirds, crows, pigeons, blue tits and coal tits, a pair of young dunnocks, pairs of bullfinches, blackcaps and two goldfinches eventually. But my attention was caught by this greenfinch who flew into several different trees but only for brief rests at any one place. It didn't come near the bird feeder, possibly because it could see Bomble near me. But I watched it fly slightly further away to perch on the Rhus tree from which other feeders are hanging. Even though it was some disyance away I tried to get a steady shot of it because they are actually rather rare visitors to our garden, so I was keen to catch it while I could.

I carried on taking several shots as it turned around several times on the branch and when it flew towards me I was delighted to catch it in flight. It isn't a great shot, nor very clear, but I like the way you can see the landscape behind it stretching across the valley, with the oak tree in full leaf now, and a white blossomed tree beside it growing on the banks of the Lime Brook in the delightful Oakey Grove. I must go and walk down there soon as it is such a special place.