By this morning, two out of three fat balls wedged into the wire ball feeder had been eaten and there was only a marble-sized ball left which rolled around in the bottom. This provided a problem for the sparrow who returned to try to get the last of the fat; as soon as he found a way to cling to the wire and leant in to peck at the little ball, it would escape from him. He tried several positions, including upside down, but couldn’t get a purchase and finally abandoned the unequal struggle to join the flock enjoying the easier meal on the grass.
The sparrows, ring doves and chaffinch had left the lawn when a robin appeared on the grass. The trees are coming into leaf and it is becoming more difficult to spot birds amongst the flourish, so that colourful plumage is a real asset. The robin’s red breast is easy to see. Our usual robin, or at least the one we think is our regular visitor, is a plump, round little bird. This bird was, if anything, taller and sleeker. It began to scavenge through the grass. Then a second bird, more the shape of our usual robin, dropped from the branches of the cherry tree to face the bigger bird. For a moment, I expected a fight, but they touched beaks and the tall bird began to feed his prospective mate, selecting the right morsels before gently leaning towards the female to allow her to take it from him.
thekitchensinkbirdwatcher 