Baby Birds About To Fledge

I shared a photo the other day of our kitchen window bird feeder, which was very popular, so I wanted to try and capture what I see numerous times a day. 

It took masses of stealth and patience.

Sitting up balanced on top of the kitchen units, squished into the corner and draped with a dark cloth...I patiently waited.

It's not like the image of a wildlife nature photographer, for sure...

...but thankfully it worked....eventually!

It's funny because I can stand at the sink working away or walking to and fro in the kitchen and the Bluetit just keeps on visiting and eating her way through our offerings. 

She's not in the least bothered about my presence. 

That is until I take hold of my camera, then she seems to become extremely shy.

Finally, I managed to capture Mum at work!

Hopefully the video will work for you.

I think her babies are nearly ready to fledge by the sounds coming from her nearby nest box.

I'm intrigued to see how many there are... who knows I might even be lucky and capture them leaving.

I'm linking up with Image-in-ing.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks for popping over to my place.

Enjoy your Tuesday everyone and hope to see you again soon

My Sunday Photo... Tits

I don't really want to dwell on the horrendous wet, cold and even foggy weather that we've been experiencing lately...  as the sun finally appeared for the last hour of the day, I'm just grateful that it remembered us at all.

We have had several of our bird boxes occupied which has been wonderful to see.

The parents have been so busy and incredibly attentive... a perfect tag team as they take it in turns to feed their young. 

But as the weather closed in I must confess I did worry if they would survive.

I placed suet balls, sunflower seeds (with their husks removed for ease) and meal worms in an attempt to help keep both the parent birds energised and hopefully the baby birds fed. 

There certainly wasn't any insects or caterpillars out in that torrential rain.

I'm hoping to see lots of babies emerge in the coming week, as the weather forecast says we will reach dizzy heights of 14 degrees! 

Woohoo... bring it on I say.

Gone are the days when I'd long for 26/28 degrees... I'm happy to get any double digits now!

Here's a little chap... the Coal Tit that came on the feeder just outside my kitchen window, 

 The Blue Tit has definitely got a brood in a nest box and he (or she) is part of the awesome tag team that I mentioned.

 Here's a shot of the little chap carrying out his parental duties with such tenacity and vigour. 

I also saw one of the woodpeckers that I featured last Sunday. 

It was feeding it's young on a nearby tree. 

The baby woodpecker is quite bigger than the parent bird, but maybe it's not surprising with all of the peanuts it was eating!

So that's what's happening around my neck of the woods as it were.,. I hope you liked seeing my little visitors. As usual I'm linking up with  'My Sunday Photo' with Photoalife, Wordless (on Tuesday at image-in-ing) and Mersad over at Through my lens,

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are. 

I hope the sun shines for you.

Have fun and I hope to see you again soon.

Shake your tail feathers

The strangest thing happened in the park yesterday.

Now that sounds a little like..."a funny thing happened on the way to the theatre" doesn't it? 

McMufftypup and myself were taking a stroll in the park whilst enjoying the beautiful warm spring morning...Muffy oblivious to everything going on around her as usual, but for the immediate smell under her nose. But I became aware that two crows were acting suspicious and were very interested her. So much so that they came hopping over the lawn towards her. 

I began to worry that maybe they were interested in her eyes. 

I know that they can peck eyes, but I thought that would only be in something that had actually died...but what else could it be? 

They came closer and close...but each time that Muffy looked at them the nearest crow crouched down. 

"Curiouser and curiouser" said Alice

But then I realised what the crow was trying to do when it began to peck poor McMuffy. Not her eyes but her tush!

Or more precise...her tail feathers! 

The crow tried to nip in and pull out some fur

 (or should I say hair as Shuh Tzu's have hair not fur). 

Muffy was most indignant! 

"How very dare you...?"

"Do-I-know-you...?"

Obviously the crows spotted her swishy tush and thought now that would be brilliant for our nest!

I just wished I'd have know what was happening and I'd have taken a video. 

Nature never ceases to amaze me...there's always something going on. 

Well it's Friday and I've got a full weekend planned. 

I've an exciting outing on Sunday and next week I'm away on a girls break. 

Whoohoo!

I'm not sure how much time I'll have for blogging, but I'll no doubt have lots to share with you sooner or later. 

Enjoy your weekend

Toodleloo for now 

xoxo