Juvenile Male Chaffinch

Not a particularly sharp picture but it was the best I got of this little chap. This year is the first time I have seen blackbirds and chaffinches making the transition from baby feathers to their adult plumage. They usually skulk around in the undergrowth and come out in their bright new clothes.

So here you have a juvenile male chaffinch still undergoing work at the tailors.

A couple of years ago we had Mallards visiting us on a daily basis, so I bought special food for them and they didn't come back. I thought the squirrels might like it, but they don't. I think the hedgehogs do though, as we had three visitors last night that I saw, one youngster and two adults who were being a bit frisky. I'll put more food out tonight and see what happens. What I don't want is rats.

.