I spent a good couple of hours at the back doorstep watching the garden today on a very needed head count. With the dark mornings and dark nights I don’t get accurate head counts in the winter so today was the ideal opportunity as I HAD to stay in. I was rewarded… My first sight of GS Woodpecker in the garden for months… Redwing in the trees. Bullfinch, Blackcap, Firecrest and Goldcrest all showed themselves!

I took some pictures, but the light was not good, as usual at the moment so I’ve put up the best of a bad bunch!

So, my garden day list today:-

1. Herring Gull
2. Woodpigeon
3. Collared Dove
4. Great Spotted Woodpecker (male)
5. Pied Wagtail
6. Wren (heard)
7. Dunnock
8. Robin
9. Redwing
10. Blackbird
11. Blackcap (M & F)
12. Goldcrest
13. Firecrest
14. Great Tit
15. Blue Tit
16. Coal Tit
17. Long Tailed Tit
18. Magpie
19. Jay
20. Carrion Crow
21. Starling
22. House Sparrow
23. Chaffinch
24. Bullfinch


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GOTCHA!

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!

As most of you know by now my mother lives with me, and today (having been Christmas shopping for three weeks and away from home) she was adamant that I was to get into the Christmas spirit! She wanted me to buy the Christmas tree and put it up - TODAY WITHOUT FAIL! That's tradition - I do all the work and she swans around singing Christmas songs whilst I tut my way through the day! I was up at 4am and listening to the dawn chorus; Hesper (my dog) by my side (as always) and having fed the birds and done the garden morning head count we lay on the sofa and snuggled up until the troops arrived and then it was back to the garden (well, the back doorstep with my coffee and Hesper snuggled at my side) and I was not prepared for what turned up. I managed to get the camera set up EVENTUALLY and I'm so pleased it was Sunday.... I spent most of the morning trying to capture this little tyke (much to mother's dislike!). I still got the tree, put it up and to top that, I PUT UP ANOTHER TREE so we have TWO!

Here's my little tyke and although I can't wait for the Spring (as it really is my favourite time of year) I hope he/she stays with us for the winter.... I shall work on getting better quality shots!


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DUNNOCK, in the garden too...
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Return of the Blackcap

First sighting of Blackcap in the garden since Spring - Fabulous. Trevor saw a female this morning and I saw a male at lunchtime. This is a female from last Spring. I tried to get a shot of the male at lunchtime, but failed!

Return of a winter garden visitor

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This image has been up before, but I couldn't resist another showing. We had Firecrest and Goldcrest feeding in the garden last winter and I was hoping they would return this winter. The first sighting of a Goldcrest was Sunday 29th Nov (spotted by Trevor). Fingers crossed for a Firecrest soon and time to get the garden hide up and running and to get some more images!