Having said that the peanut feeder was being ignored I now have to say that
the last three days have seen coal tits (four at a time) green finches and
blue tits going at it like gangbusters. The seed feeders are still being
used but not to the same extent as just a few days ago. I do wish I knew
what triggers the desire/need for different foods at different times. The
jackdaws are our current comedians, picking up seed dropped by other birds,
and learning to forage on their favourite lawn, teetering precariously on
the rope of the pergolas and squabbling noisily with each other while doing
all these things. About two days ago we heard and saw at a distance, a bird
with a roseate breast and a repetitive but changeable song. It might be a
linnet which I have to check up on but it was a gorgeous noise and if it is
a linnet, it's a first round here.
The rooks are quieter now and must be dispersing for their summer holiday -
heaven only knows where they go - but we hope they'll be back as they are,
usually. Collared doves are down in numbers, as are wood pigeons but
blackbirds are very much with us and come into the biggest greenhouse to
feed boldly from a shallow cardboard box we keep filled with crumbs and
seed. They're almost entirely indifferent to people walking within inches
of them and presumably know they're safe with us.
We seem to be seeing less chaffinches, which were very numerous here until
this year but OTOH we've seen far more coal tits and for the first time,
have seen long tailed tits. Sparrows are all over the place and there is
one thrush family living on the other side of the garden.
The tawny owls are still around but not every day so when we hear them we're
reassured. Sadly, a young barn owl was found dead in the garden a couple of
weeks ago. We have no idea what killed it as there wasn't a mark on it so
can only wonder if it was really a youngster or a starved adult.
Two long-eared bats have now been rescued from lying carelessly in pathways
and have been put into a safer habitat so we hope they will reward us with
their startling acrobatics if we get evenings warm enough to tempt them out.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online but not completed - shop to come and some mild tweaking
to do!)