Sat in the kitchen, bird watching and pigeon shooing. I have an old pestle and mortar bowl bit (which is which?!) that I fill with water for the birds to drink and a blackbird is current sqashed into it taking a bath! I expect I now need to refill it as the others won't be able to reach the water now he's splashed most of it out.
There is a male blackcap on one of the bird feeders and there seems to be several robins, which I always thought were quite territorial? All have red breasts and I just saw one feeding another. Is that unusual for this time of year?
In other news, I've tried buying new suet balls and they're not impressed so far. The tits are having a little peck at them but the blackbirds are doing gymnastics trying to get to the quarter of an old ball at the bottom of the feeder and ignoring the ones I've dropped on top. They will have to get used to them as I bought a box of 50!
I've done the same thing Simon, different or cheaper suet / footballs and they DO NOT like it!
Technically they're more expensive, although not necessarily better. I changed from a Pets at Home one that are very soft/crumbly for a Suet2Go one that isn't.
I had similar experience too, and ended up crumbling the hard ones onto the ground where strangely we had a sudden influx of pigeons lol
I definitely don't want that, PB! Spend half my day chasing them off.
Took a couple of photos earlier, although they all got camera shy as soon as I got set up.
Choose a busier background next time, RR.
I think that this was the one being fed, but not 100% on that.
Great shots Simon. I love the one of the Bluetit. That pot must be well full of water if it can manage a drink ...
Lovely pics.
Thank you. I cleaned and refilled it after the blackbird had finished bathing in it. We do have a proper birdbath but most of them prefer this mortar (I looked it up)
I do have this pic as well but haven't straightened it up yet.
Little update: now the remainder of the last old ball has gone the birds are happily feasting on the new ones, even the robins and fussy Mr. Blackbird. They have obviously decided they're not that bad after all!