Games and a Bevy of Birds.

Today is a landmark. I have a severe cold; I don't do colds; I can't remember the last time that a) I had one and b) that it was a bad as this one. But it's only a cold and it will go. So - moving swiftly on.

The wind blew and the rain rained so my two charges (grandson and dog) and I had a very much "stay at home day" today. But it was good nevertheless. We played several games including - pick-up-sticks (in which a large amount of cheating and giggling went on by both parties) and snakes and ladders; which I lost! We're also doing a jigsaw puzzle and have been for some time. It's two feet by three feet and is Star Wars Episode 1. The picture is of a young Luke Skywalker standing on sand with a shadow (which is that of is Darth Vader), thrown up against a sandstone rock; and a very blue and unbroken sky. We've now done the easy bits so it may be many weeks before completion as every remaining piece is more or less the same colour - sand!

And the birdy bit.......

I'm now sure that it's more than coincidence that I have more birds in number and variety when it's windy and bad weather. I've just been totting up today's garden visitors for the BTO Count, Just to explain, the BTO count requires you to submit the highest number of each species seen at the same time!

4 x Siskins (3 male and 1 female)
2 x Bramblings (1 male and 1 female)
8 x Goldfinches
3 x Chaffinches
1 x Great Tit
2 x Blue Tits
4 x Starlings
1 x Dunnock
2 x Blackbirds (not counting the one that was singing sweetly at 4.00 a.m. this morning!)
20 x Feral Pigeons
1 x Collared Dove
17 x Greenfinches
1 x Great Spotted Woodpecker (female)
2 x Long-tailed Tits
2 x Coal Tits
1 x Robin
then coming in for their tea,
28 x Parakeets - this is a high number even for my garden!

What was so amazing regarding the Parakeets was they they all arrived at the same time. Their flight is very straight and very fast and with their long tail feathers they look like a squadron of jet planes landing in the garden - aka The Paras!

And of the non-feathered species:
1 x Grey Squirrel
1 x Field Mouse

As I write it's too early for the frogs to be coming out of the pond but there were four there last night.

The picture quality is dreadful but I just grabbed the camera and took a couple of pics just before they flew off!

Sixteen Paras in the Apple Tree


and nineteen as they took off (plus a few Feral Pigeons)!.