Bright and Beautiful

There has been a lack of birding opportunities due to mundane things like shopping, running errands, training, vet visits and of course the weather.  Despite visits to Harrington Airfield, Pitsford Reservoir. Blueberry and the area below Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke I have seen very little with Grey Partridge, Little Owl and Hobby being the highlights.

The garden has been very busy with birds.  We have been inundated with juvenile Starlings who have reached "adolescence" and look quite bizarre with their mixture of juvenile and adult feathers. As ever they have been entertaining to watch as about 20 try to hang on the same feeder in order to gorge themselves on the mealworms.  Others just simply sit and chatter away incessantly whilst others take great delight in bathing in the bowls of water that are scattered around for the dogs to use.      Today I counted 18 Chaffinches on the lawn !!  I did a double take as we haven't had such a high number since the winter.    The Goldfinches have returned and I have had to refill their feeders twice today.  Nuthatch , Great Spotted Woodpecker and Dunnock have been absent for a few weeks but have put in an appearance today whilst the Jackdaws, Wood Pigeons and Collared Doves have become very scarce.

There is a field of Sunflowers between Arthingworth and Desborough which looks amazing and has attracted a steady stream of visitors, myself included. It was quite dull whilst I was there but this didn't detract from these bright and beautiful flowers

Regards Eleanor