There were two visitors to the lawn today, previously regulars, but missing of late – or I haven’t been at the sink/kettle at the right time. A couple of goldfinches, hoovering up the small seeds and digging out the occasional peanut, are flashing their smart tailcoats and brilliant heads on the lawn. When their wings are folded at the back there are two sets of three white ‘buttons’ and with their graceful flight they remind me of nothing so much as footmen in Russian ballets, Nutcracker or Sleeping Beauty.
They tend to avoid the raucous swirl of the sparrows. A dozen of the noisy birds are swooping back-and-forth from motel to lawn and back again at the first sign of danger and the cats have been on the prowl. The two most persistent hunters are housemates. They have elegant classical Greek names which I can never remember, so that to me they’re simply Missy White-Paws and Stripey Tiger. I caught sight of Missy White-Paws trotting across the bottom of the garden and slithering through the fence into next door’s garden. For a moment I imagined that she had a bird in her mouth but I followed her progress along the garden walls and there was nothing. This afternoon Tiger erupted out of next door’s hedge, leaping for the closest feeder, but landing in an inelegant heap on the top of the leylandii. Then she looked up, saw me watching, I snarled and she slithered down the back of our fence and disappeared. Our battle continues.
thekitchensinkbirdwatcher 