The storm has past

A storm was and forecasted for Saturday for this island of Ireland, and that of the UK, with our West coast and the west coast of Scotland mostly exposed and therefore facing the and receiving the brunt of it before the West country and Wales would be getting the tail on the next (Sun) day.

With the gales raging around our house at 100miles an hour and with hail popping down most of the time, I was concerned for the little visitors of the garden and had scattered little pieces of bacon rind around the planter which were greatly received by birds like the Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches and House Sparrows.

I am always amazed how small birds will still come and fly in and come here to find their food. OK, it is logic also, because they do need their calories in order to fight the cold spread by the strong winds and when you need to eat something like 6x your own bodyweight, just so you can get through the night. (I am not sure these are the right figures, it could well be more times bodyweight)

Still, a lot of people do record less birds in extreme conditions like these, but not here. OK, not all of the Great Tits might come for dinner, yet I was thrilled to see the two little Goldcrests land in the planter, for a good feed on peanut cake and anything else they could find on their nose-down ramble around the planter and peanuts. I had feared they would not make it against these strong violent gales of force 11, tiny as they are. However, I was wrong and 2 of those little birds did manage their way into the garden.

I am still trying to attempt a Goldcrest photo when sitting on a Fennel stalk. It is very hard to do one of these. They will fly into the planter, or rather they show up in there quite sudden, flit around, feeding when they can, take a bite of peanut cake into their beak, then up into the Fennel before getting bak down again where the feeding will proceed in the same manner.
(This is whenever there are no other takers at the peanut cake.) Finding the tiny mass of feather and fluff on the Fennel stalks is the hard bit. And I haven't even been able to focus yet! So before I can post one of those shots, I have managed these shots





And for those who have followed the progressof our young Jackdaw, here are a few more of today's shots of the lovely boy or girl.





And another little fighter which battled its way through the storm. A brave little Blue Tit. I think I took the photo when we had a bit of an invasion of Rooks and Jackdaws this afternoon. It looks a little bit scared, doesn't it?

Here is one of the Rook culprits, looking for a portrait I believe:
And a picture of a female Xhaffinch and a Pied Wagtail are included here too.






Although we had decided that it would be best for me to stay indoors, rather than go to the shop, when it cleared up a little in the afternoon, I timed it well and was able to get down and up in one piece. As soon as I came off the estate and onto our little back road, I ws swept up almost and was pushed forward with the wind in my back. Now we, reasonable people, all know that any wheels like mine, have their own speed limits and will eiter go not faster than 6,8 miles per hour. (all depending on the state of your batteries in reality)

Yet, I was convinced that I was going a lot faster than whatever is the fastest my wheels can go. One day, when we know a storm is brewing, I want to try this out with all the apparatus needed.

It was therefore very funny that Francis asked why I took so long? At which my answer was (of course) that it was hard craft battling against the storm on my return.