A male great spotted woodpecker visited the peanut feeder this morning. There was no subtlety about his approach. He flew straight at the feeder making it swing violently from the tree. Smaller birds scattered and he dominated the feeding area until he had had his fill! Watching him feed was impressive. The power in his beak sent peanut shrapnel flying in all directions. They are impressive birds and always grab my attention, but I rarely sketch them, so it was out with the pencils and watercolours for another lockdown sketch tick!
Robins are fledging in woods and gardens alike. Their thin call notes are very hard to locate. The dark brown and ochre speckled plumage offers superb camouflage in the undergrowth. The adults will soon attempt another brood.
Today it has been cold again. As I write, hail pelts the studio roof. I am longing to see swifts and martins back over the village again, but until the weather warms up I feel happy that their arrival is not premature. Weather like this at the end of a long migration can be fatal to an exhausted bird.