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An ex-goldfinch

Awake at four am for no good reason I listened to the day waking up outside. As usual this time of year the robin was first, starting singing a couple of hours before dawn. About five the lesser black-backs started flying over, calling to each other as they went. The magpies started foraging at dawn, about the same time the blackbirds started feeding in the rowan tree. Finally, about seven, a woodpigeon started singing and a few house sparrows and one of the great tits came into the garden for breakfast. (Breakfast's a bit thin pickings at the moment after the squirrel bit the base off the seed feeder.)

I noticed that a couple of the rooks on the school field have white pins and streaks in their wing feathers. I understand this is an animal protein deficiency in their diet, it seems quite common in carrion crows but I wouldn't have expected to see it in rooks, which have a more mixed diet. Perhaps it's been a bad year for worms and leather jackets, the long, hot Spring might have had an effect. Could also explain why there's only been a handful of juveniles on the field this year.

More bad news as I found the remains of a goldfinch on the path by the back door. No idea of the culprit, of course, though one or other of the local hairy hooligans is a likely suspect.