"Some days you are the bird...

...other days you are the statue." ~ Ricky Gervais

Forgot to post this earlier, yes that's the Steppe Grey Shrike, yes on my head. That's not photo-shopped by the way, that version features Britney Spears.
Anyway, good news of a sort after analysis of those feathers discovered on site after the Shrike's disappearance found they did not belong to our bird. So the imagination is set free, you can decide for yourself what happened to certainly my Bird of the Year, and many other people's too I'm sure.

How delightful, a pair of Stock Dove outside my window, pecking around beneath the bird table.

Short of disaster we should be moving house soon, The new garden is full of trees; apple, pear, cherry, birch, plus various fruiting shrubs. Ought to be one way to avoid piling on the mileage to get our birdwatching done.

Hope Through the Rain

Horrendous weather persists so my birding exploits have been dulled of late. However, my efforts in the garden are still earning their gentle homely reward. Yesterday not one, not two, but three Stock Dove strolled around the lawn. A new record for a species I'm proud to call a daily visitor. I don't know many people who can boast them.
Truth be told, they were initially attracted down by the pesky feral pigeons, the nemesis of my bird feeding efforts. I try to forget that bit.