Heron!

My partner has been scooping the dead fish out of the pond and placing them in a bucket. A heron which was flying over the garden spotted them and came right down onto the lawn. I'm sure it would have grabbed one from the bucket, but one of us made a move for the camera and it took fright. Shame. It would have made a brilliant shot.

There is an ivy covered tree close by the bird feeders which last year had a pair of blackbirds nesting in it. This year unfortunately, squirrels have taken it over and set up camp amongst the thick foliage. Every day, the furry wretches oust the birds from the feeders and stuff themselves with peanuts, leaving the jay and bluetits queuing patiently for their turn. There is another peanut feeder closer to the house were the tits often feed, but never the jays. They are too shy to come so close.

We've seen both green woodpeckers and great spotted woodpeckers in the garden recently and our pied blackbird is there every day, though sadly he hasn't attracted a mate and gets chased away by the two female blackbirds who are paired with two males with no distinguishing white feathers.

We thought there were only two goldfinches but the other day there were five of them having a fight around the sunflower seed feeder. They are feisty as well as pretty.