While the cat's away, the mice will play

Or in this case, while the sparrowhawk is away all the small birds will make the most of it.  The trail camera is set up to watch the new sparrowhawk perch in the kitchen garden but it records a lot of other birds while he is away.  Even when the coast is clear they are still very much on edge.  Here is a taste.

There is a surprising amount of activity after dark, including this rather indecisive wood mouse.

The hunter and the hunted

These photos were taken a few minutes apart in the kitchen garden, a male sparrowhawk and a very young dunnock.

Small birds at Big Waters

Bird of the week - Dunnock

Not quite as promiscuous as the reed bunting featured in a post two weeks ago, but almost.  It is not an easy bird to photograph as it is mostly at the bottom of the hedge under cover.  Fortunately it does pop out into view occasionally. The eye darkens as the bird gets older into a beautiful mahogany.  To listen to the BBC Radio 4 Tweet of the day on dunnock click here.  Read more about the dunnock on BTO Garden Birdwatch here or on BTO BirdFacts here.

Birds of the week - In the kitchen garden

All in the kitchen garden this past week.  Including chiffchaff and blackcap.  Mostly youngsters.

The young ones

There are lots of birds in the kitchen garden now, mostly youngsters.  The commonest are great tits while others include blackbird, blue tit, tree sparrow, robin, dunnock, wren, pied wagtail (pictured on the lawn) and chiffchaff.