::Pauses::
I got a bit carried away there, I think....
Anyway, there have been frequent skirmishes between two male Blackcaps over the fat block, and by extension the whole garden, and due to the vigorous nature of their interactions, and their identical appearance, its impossible to tell if one is holding on to it consistently, or if ownership is passing back and forth. The female has kept her distance [probably planning to wait for them to exhaust each other, then beat up the winner, like she's done in the last two winters]. In other news, plenty of the usual fare, and the Greenfinch high count is now 11, and they've finally learned that the roofed tray has food - a solid mass of finches in there is quite an interesting sight [and if a passing Sprawk notices, it's going to be messy.....]
Pulling the P.O.V. back out a bit, we at last have snow! Ok, barely 2cm, but that's a lot for here! Not enough to keep me away from work, alas... Today I got to work by the Big Windows for a while, and noticed a group of at least 7 Fieldfare heading NE past the factory at 0849, the resident Grey and Pied Wags were about, [though the colour-ringed male was still to distant to get a certain fix on, the little bugger!], but no sign of Bullfinches among the snow. Ah well, maybe they were a December treat only. The Geebs and Herrings seemed to enjoy the snow - cruising about in the increasing wind - and showing off in front of dark and light backgrounds like they were posing for a field guide!
Speaking of snow, I feel the need to recognise a bird that has shown truly remarkable fortitude and prowess these last weeks, and indeed now months. I write, of course, about what must surely be the World's Hardest Shrike! Not only has it survived frost, ice, and snow, but also Staines - I mean, even the Mipits are tough there.. ;) I went to see it in early November - the furthest I've twitched [I have to add 'so far...' at this point, though it was well outside the Official Twitching Envelope] - and for what had been described as "a brown bird that sits in bushes" it was much more than expected. Yes, it was various shades of brown - though as a Brown Shrike, whaddya expect? ;) - and it did spend a lot of time sitting in various bushes, but oh what a character! I couldn't get over the way it twitched its tail all the time, like an oversized wagtail, even when being mobbed by Mipits [I said they were hard]. A Robin was scolding it from the other side of the bush it was sat in - it turned slightly to look at the Robin, the Robin to its credit kept up the abuse, than the Shrike went through the bush after the Robin. You could almost see the "Oh shit!" expression on the Robin's face before it bolted... Turning things around, a heart-in-the-mouth moment as a female Kestrel decided that the Shrike might make a decent lunch and a worryingly close chase ensued.. Especially worrying as it ended out of sight, and it was only when the Kestrel popped up and landed in a tree to sulk a couple of minutes later [followed after another 10 or so by the Shrike's re-appearance] that we knew she'd missed. All in all a worthwhile trip to see a brown bird sat in a bush.
Oh yes, Ring-necked Parakeet was [after a much longer wait than the Shrike required] another, rather overdue, Lifer. Speaking of them, I can see, or should that be hear, why they're so unpopular London way - but at least they're pretty, and hard to confuse with anything else! I think I'd take them over our hordes of Woodpigs... [And definitely over the Canadas!]
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