** HOME BIRDING WEEK 4 +BLUE LAKE,HALLING **

 I was going to write this yesterday(Friday 29th) but I decided to put it off because I decided to clean and fill up the feeders for the 1 hour Big Garden Bird Watch which I was going to do today (Saturday 30th) but seeing as it rained all day I didn't do the watch, I will do it tomorrow.

Before I write my home post I will write a few lines about the BLUE LAKE, HALLING. Pamela had to have her 1st jab on 26th so on the way home we stopped off there, it is the one that has been converted for fishing etc, and on there I had great views of a GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 

Where in week 3 the Pied Wagtails disappeared, in week 4 they came back occasionally to feed, It would have been nice if they had visited most of the week but no such luck. Again it was the usual species of birds, including the Blackcaps. I am so glad I get the 2 male Blackcaps every day, I know I can get up tomorrow, look out of the window and see them some where. On some days of the week I was getting more Starlings than usual, it turned into a battle of me verses the Starlings It seemed as if they have spies everywhere, where ever I put food they would find it. When they were not around I hid a mixture of fat, dried meal worms, and peanut where I thought the Robin or Wren would find it, and some how when they came back they  still found it. It is so annoying, I sit by the kitchen window most days on and off watching all the other birds around, hoping the fat mixture would be found and eaten, by a Robin or Wren, and then either a few or quite a few Starling arrive and do what they do best, if there if food about, they will seek it out. Don't get me wrong they are a very attractive bird, but at times they are a dam nuisance in my garden. I found the best time to feed the Robin is late afternoon when Starlings and Sparrows have gone. The Blackbird spent a lot of it's time filling up on berries when it was around.

Last Thursday my wife made herself a bread and butter pudding, and there was a lot of stale bread and crusts left over so I soaked them and after 2 threw them on the lawn and  like Starlings, not a gull in sight and about 10-15 minutes later about 6-8 B/H/GULLS arrived, and watching them dropping in and grabbing some was good to watch. I wonder what week 5 will bring seeing as it will include the 1 hour garden bird watch.