The sun decided to make a rare spring appearance today, just as we move into British Summer Time. And along with the improved weather, two peacock butterflies passed through the garden, settling briefly on the wild flowers.
But mainly it was a day for the birds, with the gulls featuring heavily. In the morning I spied a herring-gull-spat on a nearby rooftop.
This evening we saw two gulls settle by the pond. They rarely land in the garden and I have a worrying suspicion that they were after the tadpoles 🙁 We still have some in the pond, so all may not be lost, but the mass of tadpoles in the centre seems to have vanished. That may be because they've dispersed but the density does seem reduced.
Less of the threat are the wood pigeons, and this one took a leisurely stroll through the garden.
Among the other visitors were blackbirds, a robin (hiding in the thick of the branches), a great tit (also hiding) and some chirruping blue tits. But the current stars are without doubt the greenfinches, so no apologies for including some more photos, this time on the branches above the feeder.
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
SittingFox
30 Mar 2008The gulls look like they mean business in that brawl :furious: I hope they don't take all the tadpoles. Too bad the foxes are still absent (I presume?) as they'd probably act as something of a deterrent to gulls landing. (Although, in an actual fight I'm not sure if a fox could get the better of a herring gull!)
Beautiful shots of the garden birds. The greenfinches look great, and I wait with moderate patience for the butterflies to appear up here… :wait:
Mickeyjoe-Irl
30 Mar 2008Stunning wings on the Butterfly :up:
Ukwildlife
30 Mar 2008lovely photos.
Ive had no bickering crows but there has been two pairs of crows chasing each other around over my and the neighbours gardens today. I saw some collecting twigs too. Its quite distracting when your trying to revise 🙂
Dudley
31 Mar 2008I find it interesting the climate in England this time of year. In my area, mid April is when it starts looking like spring.
Great butterfly photo too :up:
BitzyMe
31 Mar 2008Words! What a Spendid group of shots!!!
Each and every one is wonderful.
You had a "Banner Day" to say the least! 🙂
You must be a pretty happy camper 😀
cakkleberrylane
31 Mar 2008Amazing butterfly! Very artistic fighting between the gulls. It almost looks like some kind of dance! The other birds are beautiful too, such wonderful clarity on them.
gdare
31 Mar 2008Excellent photo of butterfly. I haven`t seen them yet over here.
Words
31 Mar 2008Thanks Mickeyjoe. It's one of the few I can identify without heding for a book.
UrbanExtension
31 Mar 2008How funny! The peacock's must have been flying all over the place on Sunday. I've just posted about the very same subject! It was great to see them. It almost felt like spring! Jane
Words
31 Mar 2008Darko, it's our strange weather that does it. No proper winter so they come out at the first sign of sunshine.
Words
31 Mar 2008Adele, I'm sure there will plenty of fighting among the gulls as they look for suitable nesting spots. By the summer they'll be dive bombing anyone they don't like the look of! I suspect they could do some damage to a fox. Roofy used to duck whenever they came near…. he certainly wasn't keen on them 🙂
Words
31 Mar 2008Neil, I could watch them for hours. We've got some crows nesting here and they are forever flying back and forth with twigs. Good luck with the revision!
Words
31 Mar 2008Andy, we find the climate interesting as well. An English obsession. We can go through rain, wind, snow and sun in day. February was very mild indeed. March has turned relatively cold. And if past years are anything to go by we skip summer altogether (but don't get much a winter either).
Words
31 Mar 2008Bitzy, thanks! It's certainly getting quite active as spring struggles to arrive.