Here is another species that is in decline in the UK. Believe it or not I have hardly ever had the chance of a photo in my garden, they are not rare birds by any means but certainly not around in the vast numbers that I remember from my youth. They are taken for granted by most people and almost considered to be vermin by others, but I can appreciate the beauty of their markings which are iridescent and spangled and show much better in bright sunlight. The Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a good mimic and sometimes you can get a hint of where they have previously been by the odd sounds that they include in their rambling song. I have heard them using the calls of Curlews, what sounded like a squeaky gate and also the sounds of children playing in a distant playground!
Today's weather is bright and sunny but I prefer not to go out and about on a sunny weekend day because the popular birding haunts are busy with working people making the best of their weekend off. So I have been keeping an eye on the garden in the hope of catching a glimpse of a Blackcap, and even better a photograph. No luck so far though, but when the Starling landed on one of the high conifers I grabbed the picture before it left again in a hurry. One of the the most amazing examples of bird behaviour that I have ever observed involved a Starling. I was sitting in my car waiting for my wife to return from the local shop and watching the Starlings on a rooftop. Suddenly a Carrion Crow landed next to the small flock. The Starlings didn't react at all, why would they? But perhaps they should have because the Crow casually sidled up to the nearest bird, grabbed it and proceeded to kill and eat it right there on the rooftop!

I went out this afternoon to Topsham to have another look for the Spotted Sandpiper, not that I haven't had good views of it before  but I really would like some better photos. The problem is getting reasonably close to it is proving hard. Almost every time that I have been, there has been other bird watchers and photographers present and it would be most unfair to try and get too close and chase it to the opposite bank. So for the time being this is the best that I can get.