icesnow

Daytime it is thawing...drabby melting watery snow everywhere.
Nighttime it is freezing again for slippery icy places.

messy snow

Yesterday loads of snow falling.
slippery, though very beautiful.
Today a muddy dirty grubby mess, because of thaw.
All the seeds are mingled with the snowy ice.

The birds have to separate the seeds from the snow.
They do everything to survive.

blackbird expressions

I love watching the behaviour of birds and their expressions.
Here the same blackbird (female) sitting very relaxed (top)
and on the 2 other pics, he is looking very attentive...

snowing

Its snowing again.
Almost all day fine tiny snow falling...layering the world around in white.
Blackbirds (at least 6) are fighting, chasing away each other for the best food.
And who is gone be first.
This blackbird is waiting for his turn...till the others have finished.

singing

Just before I wanted to leave,
I had to un-ice and un-snow my car,
While I was busy doing so, I heard him singing.
It was n't so difficult to spot him between the dark&grey.

finch 2

A female finch sitting in the snow (snow did arrive now),
chewing, peeling a seed.
They do that always so funny...chewing, biting, peeling on those seeds till they can eat it.

finch

My birdbath is temporary a feedingtable.
I stopped the water running, because of freezing.

A beautiful male finch came along.
A very brave one...I saw him intimidating a treecreeper and a blackbird.
As you would not expect a smaller bird doing things like that.
also I saw a blackbird intimidating a woodpigeon(which is 3 times bigger)
I can learn something from those brave birds...standing your ground.

falcon

As I planned to go home, I saw a small street
for maybe...another chance?
After some time...to my surprise, there he was!
Sitting up in a tree...sat a male kestrel , (Falco tinnunculus,) (torenvalk) enjoying the sunrays...
in between watching the area.
He didn't mind that I came closer.
so I could get quite near and get some lovely shots.
He really made my day!

robin

As I continued my journey,
I suddenly noticed a lovely robin sitting on a frosted pole.
So now and then he jumped down to find a snack.
but came back sitting on another pole,
from where He viewed his area.
He gently posed for my camera.
Such a beauty!

rime

Today I wanted to go out...
not only my garden..I wanted to shoot falcon.

It had frozen again, beautiful light of the sun shining through.
So I drove to some area where I suposed to find them.
I saw a beautiful buzzard sitting in the sunshine, though as soon as I stopped,
the buzzard got his wings before I could fire my camera.

As I got out of my car I found lovely rime on all kind of reeds and wood.
much longer than I had in my garden.

snow

Snow did arrive
24 hours delay...

just a few flakes.

ice

The weathernewsman promised ice and snow coming.
The ice came...the snow is either delayed, belated or cancelled.

This morning all the branches in my garden were covered with a magical frosted layer.
And coming along with it, there is always a stillness around,
which you cannot explain...how come.
It makes you still inside.... in wonder.

visitors

Unexpectedly, one of my friends K. phoned
Can I come along?
Some hours later there she was.
And she had brought along her two birds Elsje & Simon.
Two kind of small parrots ...very tame... and lovely.
They both fly around freely in the room.
lovely sound those wings..flapping, fluttering ruffle...making a soft breeze when flying over.
Very much fun to watch them.
Simon is the male, with blue in the wings.
Elsje (female) is the green one.

squirrel

From some distance, I saw him roaming around in my garden.
either hiding a nut or digging it up.
Haven't seen them for quite a while
I always love to see them, these running rushing creatures.

a little something

This morning Bibi escaped to the ceiling.
I called him back and of course he didn't come back
as cats are used to, having a mind of their own.
So I let him.

After some hours I decided to have a look.
He came down...and the next hours he sat which a little something on his face.

acrobatic robin

They say robins never sit on fat-balls.
They say they can't.

This one is an acrobat.
he can do it.

late visitor

Few days ago...dark, about late,
Bibi suddenly started growling and meaowing like mad.
I looked at him puzzeled (of course , her) to see what was going on.
He was so mad...growling...deep low grumbling, IiieoauuWWwwwwGGGggrgrgr

Then I saw on the table sitting outside,
two staring flashing eyes between beautiful blue-ish fur.
A neighbour cat thought it was nice to come for a visit.
Bibi was not amused.

robin

I Can't get enough of making photos of my robin.
He is such a delightful bird.

Here he is intensely craving for peanuts.

heart

I was drinking a cup of water.
As I wanted to put down the cup, I noticed the cup had been wet underneath.
It had left a mark of a heart under the cup.

I stared at the heart with surprise.

yellow

Its feedingtime for the birds.
I put on peanuts and seeds
and today a male greenfinch came along.
Haven't seen them for a while.
I did not know the rear end of this bird was so bright yellow!