Today’s highlight was an unusual one. I stayed at home today due to a work load in my studio. But there is always time for a bit of Bird Watching especially if the weather is  OK and there are birds about. It was  mid morning and the temptation was too great, so noticing a few Siskin about I thought I would place the pop-up hide near to the feeders to see what photos I could get. As I went onto the lawned area I was staggered to see this large cock Pheasant scurrying for cover. Remember that I live in the middle of a suburban housing estate surrounded by houses,fences and roads. How this bird could have got into me garden is an absolute mystery, I guess he made his way through other gardens and ended up staying in mine because of the amount of spilt seed around. Quite how he negotiated a 6 foot high fence other than flying over without being seen is beyond me.   There was a bit of ‘twoing and froing” as he tried to hide from me and eventually he ran down through the bottom of my garden which is fenced off to keep three laying hens in their half of my garden. I followed him but couldn’t find him so gave up. Later on I went to collect any hens eggs from the coup and there he was sat in the hay in the hen house! I picked him up and put him in an enclosure with some seed and water so that I could have a good luck at him and decide what to do with him. To cut a long story short we released him back in the fields. I am guessing he was a very old cock bird because he had a strange deformity on his upper mandible and when I released him he seemed to have a bit of a limp. He never flew away like I expected but ran for cover with his limp of course! Very odd. He would not have been a pet because it is not the kind of species anyone would keep as a pet. 

A male Blackcap was in the garden today, the first one for several weeks. I was pretty sure last year when I saw a male Blackcap in the garden, that I had heard a faint “sub-song”. Well I can confirm that this bird today was definitely singing a faint song. I could hear him as well as see his neck expanding as he sang.
He was attracted by a fat ball hung from the cotoneaster tree quite close to the bathroom window. I put it there deliberately because I knew it would give me good views and photo opportunities.

This hen Blackbird – Turdus merula has been in the garden for several weeks now and spends a lot of time cavorting with a cock.

This next one was taken from the bathroom window again.

Then of course there are the Siskins that I can’t resist. They are so beautiful and I am so thrilled to have them in the garden constantly.

This male is just as lovely as his mate.