Garden Gold

Lade - cool, cloudy, ne 3 - I try to spend at least one day at the weekend birding from the cottage and leaving the car idle; not always easy down here if something good turns up nearby. As the gravel workings to the south was closed we spent a couple of hours first thing checking out the lake and adjacent rough bits and pieces. All was pretty quiet apart from a Rock Pipit around the pit margin, plus several Pied Wagtails, Mipits and Skylarks, while Goldfinches and Linnets were all over the place. Two groups of Redpolls and Siskins zipped over and 5 Swallows skimmed the water.

                               Blackbird, Goldfinches and Starling, Plovers

Back home most of the day was taken up with working in the garden, at times in warm sunshine, accompanied by the tinkling sound of Goldfinches and the high pitched, incessant calls of Goldcrests in the pine trees and shrubs. I spent way too much time trying to photograph the charms and waifs, although the crests proved too much of a challenge for the bridge camera.
We`ve got a soft spot for Starlings here at Plovers and find them immensely pleasing as they cackle away enjoying the sun whilst sheltering from the wind.
A few months back I posted a pic of `our` Blackbird, a tatty adult male that had raised three broods, the last one on his own when his mate died, and am pleased to report that he is now in fine fettle, mainly due to Pat who feeds him every morning.
NB: The Common Crane was again reported on the bird reserve today on the fields at Dengemarsh and Boulderwall, while a Pallas`s Warbler was noted in the trapping area at the point.