I spent a couple of hours sat in the top hide this morning in the hope of getting a really good photo of the male Blackcap with the sun full on him. Eventually the weather changed to dreary mode and a little bit of drizzle so I decided to call it quits, come indoors and make myself a hot drink. Standing in the kitchen now and just looking out in to the garden imagine how I felt when I saw the Blackcap leave the apple and perch in the open on the outside of the cotoneaster bush. I had bee focused on the apple for the previous 2 hours without any sign of him. So I rushed upstairs and got a few photos of him actually eating a cotoneaster berry. This is bviously the reason for his interest in this bush.
Back down in to the kitchen again and I caught sight very fleetingly of a tiny olive coloured warbler with a noticeable eye stripe. Excitedly this time I rushed upstairs and watched for a re-appearance of this little bird which could have only been one of three, Yellow Browed Warbler, surely not…… Firecrest…….. even more of a wow…….. or a Chiffchaff……. all possibilities but we are talking of my tiny little garden here and any one of those species would be a really good “spot” in the garden. I certainly saw an eye stripe so that eliminates Goldcrest.

So now up in the Bathroom again and the tiny warbler was hidden or had flown away but right there in front of my eyes in the strong sunlight was the Blackcap yet again and I took 38 photos of him.

I really like this one. Notice how puffed up his feathers are. This is a reaction to the cold and also indicates how relaxed he is.

I don’t think he is a particularly attractive bird, decked out in all those greys as he is. I think it is one of those species where the female is possibly more attractive with her brown cap which contrasts well.

This is where he is struggling to get a berry down, he can just about manage it and if this photo does anything at all it is proof of the importance of fruiting bushes and trees in your garden to attract wild birds.