Green Blog

19 April 2011

Tree life, Saturday morning

Generally speaking, I don't go bird watching from my own bed. But as our young daughter climbed in on my side much too early on Saturday morning, I went downstairs, made a cuppa, came back and pulled the curtains open a foot or two.

And in the early morning light, in the tree across the street, I saw the unmistakable form of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. The tree's leaves are barely budding so there was no foliage for it to hide behind. It climbed around the trunk and along branches, stripping flakes of bark in its search for breakfast, showing us it red forehead, and black and white barred wings.

Then, from the sky top right, two flashes of colour dropped into the upper branches. Goldfinches - with red and white faces and those brilliant yellow flashes on the wings.

By this time I'd got the old binoculars out from under the bed, and we were taking turns.

Just when we feared our neighbours might report us for being voyeurs, a Collared Dove glided in from the left, taking up station on a lower branch, cooing in a friendly way.

My daughter shrieked in delight. My wife didn't know where to point the binoculars - too much choice.

What a great way to start the day. One tree, 3 beautiful bird species, all in about 5 minutes, just before 7 am, in a suburban street, in Spring.

You can find advice on feeding from our friends at RSPB.

Andy Atkins, Executive Director