Home thoughts

Very pale house sparrow

Another very wet day. The sparrows came in mob-handed and stayed the day, only retreating from the feeders when the squirrels got too insistent on their turn. At one point there were thirty-three spadgers out there, including the very pale individual that seems to be getting slightly darker on its back and wings.

Game but damp

The pair of collared doves brought one of their youngsters in with them (I think there are two of them, they nested a few doors down). A couple of juvenile goldfinches came in with one of their parents but they didn't stop long once they saw the queues for the sunflower seed feeders. I'll get some more nyger seed in for them to give them a chance.

Juvenile collared dove

There's a touch of Autumn in the air besides the gloomy wet weather. Most nights over the past few weeks there's been a couple of dozen black-headed gulls on the school playing field have a pre-roost loaf. Tonight there's one hundred and fifty-five.