Bird companions

My feeders have been busy all day with birds - Blue-tits, Great-tits, Dunnocks, Chaffinch, Robins, Cole-tits, Blackbirds, Woodpecker and a gang of Long-Tailed-tits came by, and noisily took over for half an hour or so.  Alarm call shrieks made me stick my head out of the workshop, to see a Sparrow Hawk swoop past in determined flight.  All was quiet for a while.

Robin visiting the bird table - watches me all the time and follows me around

I cleared snow over an area of grass for the geese - it is some days since they grazed, and they eagerly followed my raking.  Very soon a Redwing came down and started foraging on the cleared grass, it pulled up a worm.  My stoat also made an appearance, and bounded in the snow, pushing something ahead of it, nosing it around as if in play.  It disappeared before I could see what it was. 

Treecreeper scampering up the trunk and probing in the bark for insects

The Redwing appeared again and sat in the old Sycamore tree.  While looking at it, I caught sight of a Treecreeper, racing up the bark, pulling and dabbing its beak into every crevice on the way.  What beautiful birds, so tiny - I hoped it was finding food.

It made me wonder what I could do for my bird visitors that are not nut or seed eaters, those who prefer insects, grubs or worms.  Must look into it.

The workshop wren came onto my workbench and I stood very still, it flew down and walked across my boots!  The Robins too are coming very close.

What lovely companions.