I am sure they know.....

Birds will never cease to amaze me.  They are clever, adaptable and FRUSTRATING!  Take yesterday, it was a mouldy old day and I found my self at a loose end (and starting to come unravelled) so I decided to complete my 'Make your nature count' RSPB survey.  It's been sitting on my desk for weeks and I was actually looking forward to completing it because for once I would have some birds to report.  So I filled up the feeders, cut up some bread for the lawn and threw some of Esmerelda's corn about.  That will get them in I thought.  Wrong.  They chose that hour to all go and have a kip somewhere.  Or maybe there was a party up the road that no one told me about.  Whatever.  But in that hour I chose I barely had any birds compared to a normal day.  A few Great Tit, no Coal Tit or Blue Tit.  A couple of halfhearted Woodys and a sad looking Chaffinch.  I am sure they know when you want them to be there and all naff off somewhere else!  Even Sunny the Partridge was off the nest and somewhere else!

Of course this morning the lawn is covered in Woodys, the feeders are swinging with the acrobatics of the Tits and the Jay is storming around everywhere.  I am sure they are laughing at me.  Add to that the Blue Winged Teal at Cley which I had intended to go for has vanished into thin air and you can see why I call them frustrating!  I just know that the rotten thing will reappear like Mr Ben out of the changing room (showing my age here) this afternoon when it's too late for me to go.  They do it on purpose to wind the birders up I am sure of it!

STOP PRESS!

While I have been writing this two Mallards came strolling into the garden.  The female is pure white.  Is it Arthur and Esmerelda with highlights.  Has she been gone all this time getting a makeover to look like Marilyn?  They are pretty tame, they came to seed at the window.  I decided not to risk opening the back door.  Ah, it's nice to have ducks in the garden again :o)