Grey Heron, Aredea cinerea

This heron flew up from just below the wall along the estuary, and just landed at the other side.

This youngster just wants a little attention

Great Tit, Parus major, searching for grubs amidst the weeds.


All this searching makes one vry thirsty

male House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

And this photo is posted specially for a Canadian blogger, under her Google name of Old Crow. I know that she loves this specie's handsome plumage.
So this Hooded Crow, Corvus Cornix, is fpr you!


Female Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs.

The number of Chaffs is increasing almost daily; the migrants are arriving from the continent and the Chafflings have now moulted into the adult plumage. They are one of my favourite species, they have very special characters, I think.

Katja, my homehelp, reported that another bird has been killed; she saw a lot of feathers underneath the feeders at the shed.
So I've shifted the big Fatsia japonica next to the shed, hopefully the large leaves will now block the felines.

Farewell to my Greenfinch

This summer we saw a lot of Greenfinches in the garden, including young ones. The fledglings were gorgeous, and a delight to watch as they set their feet onto the peanut feeder for the first time.
Then a week or so ago, I spotted this one which seemed very lethargic when I came around the corner of the house.
The thought of another bout of Trichomoniasis in my birds made me shiver, because in 2007/2008 this horrible disease decimated the flock of House Sparrows.


The sight of this little Greenfinch in the birdbath did not cheer me up either. I had spotted it earlier underneath the feeder, pecking at the bits of nuts in my windowbox, and when it finally flew of, I took the camera to my workroom, from where I have a good view over the bath.





It did not look too puffed up, nor did it seem to have the swollen throat, as you'd see in birds suffering from Tricho. Something was definitely wrong though.
And although it was hardly moving, its insstinct to hide from me behind the little bee-house, made it more difficult for me to catch the poor thing.

Eventually, I was able to pick it up, but the poor bird had already died in my windowbox.







Some liquid in the feathers on the head seem to have dried up, which I think is something like blood, although I have not yet found any puncture wounds, but I will look for it in the morning. It is very mean that I myself had my cat re-adopted shortly after Francis died, because she had started to chase the birds. On my own I was unable to police her properly, so she had to go. in return what did I get in the garden?
A set of older kittens, from 2 houses down. A nextdoor neighbour with a cat, Lucy. She keeps me company from the gardenwall separating our gardens, during the night when I lie awake. wondering if the pain will ever go away, in return for a bit of sleep.

And to top it all off, a recent set of young kittens, eager to learn from the older set!
So I now have 5 cats in the garden!!! After I got rid of my own..

I myself am now thinking of getting an assistance dog, which can do amazing tasks as help for people with disabilities. Very much like a guard dog for the blind.
Hopefully I would then be able to teach it to leave the birds alone and scare the felines from my patch!
I will phone Fachtna, my vet tomorrow about my little Greenfinch. See what he thinks.