I waited yet again in the hide for quite a while trying to capture another image of the Blackcaps, no sign today though. As I sat there the “garden” Blackbird perched on the potted conifer right in front of me and I couldn’t resist taking yet another photo of him. Then almost a re-run of yesterday’s events. Within minutes of coming indoors, today a flock of Long-tail Tits came in to the garden and on to the feeder only 3 feet from the hide. I still managed a few shots of them but the weather and light by now was very dull. It’s the same flock that has been in the garden twice before because I recognised the bold close rung adult. One interesting bit of behaviour involved this bird who used his feet to adjust and secure a sunflower heart in his beak just like a parrot. I personally have never seen a perching bird use a foot in this way.

…………Here he is showing the ring very well, unfortunately not sharp enough for me to read the numbers, but almost. It is a large ring for a little bird. The BTO say that there is no evidence that a ring will impact on a bird in a negative way but in proportion it would be like you or I having a metal band from above the ankle to the knee. I think you would accept it pretty quickly but I am sure you would rather not have it!

………….Another one of the flock amongst the cotoneaster.