Springing.

While I was attempting to establish if my new Starling box was being used, the resident male was consistently perched in a tall tree in the front hedge every time I went out to restart recording (the camera shuts down after ten minutes automatically). So attached to his slender branch was he, that I decided to potentially waste nine and a half minutes of footage of tree, and point the camera at him, press record and leave it running while I went back indoors on whatwas an annoyingly cold morning.

As it turns out, he stayed for the duration, but after a few minutes, shuffled upwards slightly and so ruined the shot completely. I might not have bothered posting any of the footage here, but while reviewing it, my attention wassuddenly drawn to a perfect Blackbird call. At first, since there are plenty of other birds around, I thought it might have been a coincidence that the Starlings' bill moved slightly at the exact moment the call was heard - it was so much louder than any of the other vocalisations the bird emitted - but soon realised that it was indeed a beautiful example of the Starling's ability for reproducing the noises of the surrounding environment. 

Ruined somewhat by the occasional car (and apparently a low flying Spitfire from the sound of it??), and the usual breeze that for some reason turns to arctic blizzard when it hits the microphone, I nevertheless thought it worth sharing.

Speaking of sharing, the Blue Tits have decided that the pantry is theirs now. They refuse to use the door like hte rest of us, but instead have insisted in chipping away some of the old wood that was once part ofthe roof structure. Blue Tits have used the corner of the pantry for the last few years, but this winter the facure boards were replaced, removing their old entrance way. Undaunted by this problem, when it comes to resolve, the Tits are not wobbling. And why would they. The site is only about five yards from the bird feeders.