Hard Hat Required!

Awoke this morning to a sprinkling of snow (thought Spring was supposed to be here now?), so I thought I'd go back to Knocksink Woods to see what was around.
Along the main walkway leading up to the woods, the gorse was in flower, which looked a bit odd as it was also covered in snow!

Upon entering the woods it was all very picturesque, the sun was shining through the trees which was lovely....... until your head got battered by the clumps of melting ice/snow falling from the trees :-(
As the title says, hard hats were needed!

I sat by the river for a fair while hoping to see something, maybe a Dipper but the only thing that made an appearance was a Wren (not that there's anything wrong with Wrens of course!)

There were plenty of Coal Tits & Great Tits flitting about in the tree tops but none stayed still enough for me to focus on them.

I also realise that I have new found respect to anybody that photographs Treecreepers! How do you do it? The photo below shows my attempt..... if you look behind the branch that's in focus, at the small blob on the trunk, that's the Treecreeper (okay stop laughing now!)

I may have to add that challenge to my wishlist, to try & get a decent shot of one this year!

All in all it was quite a nice walk through the woods, apart from the ice attacks from above! And on the way back along the pathway, something small was flitting around the gorse, which I think was a Goldcrest, it was certainly small enough to be one!
Again, the photo isn't the best but it was moving around quite a bit!

Came home and put out yet more food for the birds, also spotted this fella casing the joint!

That's the first Collared Dove I've seen around this area, maybe he'll (or she) venture down into the garden later.

Conspiracy Theory

I've come to the conclusion that my garden visitors (aka birds) are conspiring against me!

Example 1 Whilst washing the breakfast pots this morning, 2 (not 1 but 2) Goldcrests decided to chase each other up and down the branch of the tree right outside the kitchen window in front of where I was standing. Where was my camera? In the living room!

Example 2 After just refilling the feeders, I happened to look over to my right and what did I see watching me? A Redwing! My first ever Redwing - I was so pleased, I have never seen one before! Where was my camera? Inside the house!

Example 3 Whilst watching TV this afternoon, something caught my attention......approx 7 Long Tailed Tits were flitting and hanging upside down in the tree outside the living room window! Where was my camera? In the kitchen (in case the Goldcrests came back)!

Conclusion I need at least 3 different cameras, one for each room overlooking trees/garden!

Blackditch

Well, the peanut butter is still intact (untouched!) but the good news is that 5 Long Tailed Tits passed through the garden this morning, so at least I know they're still around AND there were 2 Goldcrests chasing each other through the bushes - things may be looking up!

I know this is a back garden blog but I went to our local nature reserve today (Blackditch) and saw a huge amount of dragonflies, I found them so pretty I just had to share! I admit I don't know what type they are or anything about them, I'm afraid.

There were also at least 30-40 Goldfinches in the trees eating the seeds from the pine cones, I've never seen so many before so it was a real treat!

Gunfire!

I awoke to the sound of machine guns this morning! No, war hadn't broken out overnight.....the noise was from 6 Magpies "shooting" at each other! This is fine at 7.45am on an ordinary week day when I have to get up for work but on a Sunday morning - I am not impressed!

Then you hear the sweet melodic tune from the tiny Wren and all is forgiven!
I am sure all birds in my back garden are conspiring against me....I sit and watch with my camera at the ready for hours and........nothing!
As soon as I put my camera down every bird in the wood appears. It's like the old Kit Kat advert with the dancing Pandas in the zoo!
Yesterday the Long Tailed Tit came back and fed from the nut feeder.....until I focused on it with my camera. Also saw a small flash of colour darting between the bushes - it finally landed on the big Oak tree outside the bedroom window and I realised it was our first Goldcrest, cute little thing and again flew off before I could reach for the camera. I could almost hear laughter from the Rooks and Jackdaws above!
On a more serious note, I haven't seen Peanut (the foxcub) for about 3 nights now, I'm still putting out food for him and it's always gone the next morning, but I suppose that could be anything eating it. Fingers crossed nothing bad has happened to him.