Birds in Bunhill

by Sheila McIntosh 28 December 2019

Grey, damp but not cold. The conservators have left grey blankets over some of the stones, which gave them a spookier feel, than usual if you find graveyards spooky.  The two new bird feeders put up on 15 December by Sarah and Neil, are a success. Saw three or four goldfinches and a great tit feeding on them. Tried to get a photo of goldfinches but they were playing games. As soon as I got near enough for a decent photo they flew off to the other feeder. When I approached that one, they flew back to the first one. These were the best I could do. 

Saw two wrens feeding in the woodpiles, our cheapest and best bird feeders that never need refilling, if you’re a wren or a dunnock that is. I have seen wrens feeding from all of them from time to time. I put a new fat slab on the caged bird table. The old one had got black mould all over it. The first guest was the great tit, it fed on it for several minutes. The only other birds I have seen in the cage are the resident robin and an occasional blue tit. The great tit was interested only in the fat slab. Ignored my presence even when I got quite close. Either it felt safe inside the cage, or it was hungry. 

In spite of the greyness there was more birdsong than usual in the wildlife bit of Bunhill. You could hear far more goldfinches than you could see. Be good if the two new bird feeders encouraged birds to see that bit of Bunhill as a feeding station. There was a bit of colour; plants waking up such as primula veris and alkane and the winter hellebores putting on their final show.