Marshy Willow Tit family

Came a visiting this morning. One adult helping itself to sunflower seeds from the feeder some of which were then fed to the entourage of two fledglings.

Red Kite

Just outside having lunch and we hear a lot of noise above us. Looking up there is the unmistakeable shape of a red kite being mobbed by rooks and a couple of crows. The kite seemed most un-bothered and lazily flapped it's way towards Whitby - obviously fancied a day at the seaside!
It looked like it had yellow wing tags, a bit difficult to tell against the sun but probably, if so it's travelled a long way, two yellows mean origin south of England and hatched in 2004.

Buds are bursting

This morning we were assailed by the lovely clean, soapy smell of fresh hawthorn blossom which yesterday opened wide in the sunshine. And after weeks of watching the oak and ash dead-heating as to which would unfurl their new leaves first today the oak has definitely won the race with lots of new leaves open at the top of the tree on the edge of the car park whilst its ash neighbour is still in bursting bud. And you know what that means - we're in for a splash.

Squirrel

Not good...
The girls have just evicted a grey squirrel from the bird feeders in the middle of the lawn. Maia wasn't sure, thinking it needed to be shot first and if it was must she fetch it because they really don't taste very nice and have a nasty habit of biting. However, Hebe was much faster and the squirrel shot up a tree whilst Maia was pondering the options.