BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Birds and/or feathers is the subject of Carmi's challenge this week.   Being bird-watchers and even more scientific ornithologists in earlier years, I had a hard job choosing shots from my archives!   Some of these you will have seen before, but others I hope not!   Most of them have been taken in our back garden, or in the park behind us.

That beady eye is firmly fixed on the water, and that wicked bill will catch any unwary fish that comes along!

A male (R) and female Bullfinch on our nyjer feeder

A beautiful Jay, but I do wish they wouldn't dig holes in our lawn!

Our Robin is totally fearless when we are digging in the garden, nipping in and grabbing odd worms, grubs etc.   One year they built a nest in one of the holes in our garden wall and raised two fledglings.

A Swan's wing.   At one time the pair of swans raised five cygnets, which they chased away, but the other week we heard that the male swan had died.   That leaves the lonely female, who looks rather sad, not surprising as swans mate for life, but maybe another male swan will find her.   The swan that died was incredibly aggressive and kept all other large birds, including Canada Geese away.   Maybe the geese will come back this coming winter - who knows?

An odd moulted swan's feather

Crows gather in the evening before roosting wherever it is they roost.

These two crows were sitting in a silver birch tree at the end of our garden, watching, just watching......