Lazy day

Goldfinches

As always the blackbird was the first singer before dawn, joined ten minutes later by the carrion crow that's nesting the other side of the railway line. The great tits and the coal tit were surprise early entrants to the chorus, I don't usually hear them until an hour or two later. Woodpigeons brang up the rear and took turns for the rest of the morning. The collared dove is generally saving itself for mid-morning these days then carries on singing sporadically most of the afternoon.

The robin was notable by its absence, as they all have been locally the past few days which is a sign that having established their territories they're now a bit busy. The demarcation line between "my' robin and the station bird is somewhere four doors down. I think they're nesting behind the shed next door but one. The line to the West seems to coincide with the tiny patch of grass left behind the houses a few doors down.

It was going to be a sunny day and I was in no hurry so I had a lie-in to give the coat, cap and boots another hour's drying out time. I chose not to be tempted by the pair of ferruginous ducks that have joined the ruddy duck at Woolston Eyes, the idea of the combination of crowd and deep mud was off-putting and the gates were closing again at one.

Collared dove

By the time I'd had breakfast I'd pretty much chosen not to do anything at all. I'd got comfortable sitting in the sunlight reading a book as the collared dove sang in the background, joined occasionally by a woodpigeon to demonstrate that while the rhythms may be similar the songs are very different and every so often the woodpigeon would disrupt the rhythm with a few "Oh Black Betty" phrases before settling back into the flow. Birdwatching isn't a job, it's a pastime and it's as well to remind myself it's no dereliction of duty to have a day off an enjoy the blue tits and goldfinches slipping in and out of the garden like thieves in the night, or just read a book in peace.