A day in the garden

At long last I managed to get out in the garden and gave the grass a severe haircut. Also managed to get a great deal of tidying up done - I feel so much better for that!

Whilst in the garden, a group of five Long-tailed tits heralded their arrival in the Rhododendron and, down the bottom of the garden, I startled a Green Woodpecker who quickly flew off through the Oak Trees. Later on I heard a Nuthatch calling, but not sign of it in the garden. This in addition to the twittering of the returning Goldfinches and the usual blue and great tits.

Whilst cutting back some overgrown bamboo, my resident robin sat quietly singing to himself in the large conifer.

For 3 minutes precisely (!) the sun shone - what a difference. I gather the temperature here in the South East of England is due to rise for the weekend. That's all well and good provided the clouds dissipate and the sun shines! Time will tell!

Prior to the weekend I'd taken odds and ends of pictures whilst around the house and garden or out for a walk etc. - and none of them birds.

Not sure whether this is a grasshopper or a cricket but whichever it is, it took up residence in my kitchen for a day. Amazing eyes!

If anyone can ID this, I'd be grateful
(For best viewing, click on picture to enlarge it!)


Outside on a garden pot, this Angle Shades Moth was having a rest

Whilst in Bushey Park, I espied this Meadow Brown

and a rather battle scarred Speckled Wood
(Record shot only)

Looking equally battle scarred was this Fallow Buck - it would appear that he's losing the "velvet" on his antlers ready for the rut.