While Richard is out seeing fancy birds I've been getting a lot of pleasure from the robins who help me with my weeding. Today there was a blackbird in there with me too, debugging my newly turned earth after having a go at the cut apples I'd piled near the hedge.
I took the hint and chopped some more for him when I went in. And put some on the birdtable outside my study window. There is a robin pecking away now. They don't like the peel, but if I quarter them they hollow out the apple.
And now, outside the same window is a dunnock and a hen pheasant, pecking something tiny from my path, don't know what, unless some crumbs blew off the birdtable. And a blackbird moving a slice of apple towards the hedge. The pheasant sat down when she heard my printer whirr and looked about nervously. Ah, 3 hen pheasants, 2 beige and 1 with a ginger tinge and white spot under her eye.
Well, it's past Valentines day - which is when they start up (traditionally). And I've seen 2 robins on the bird table at the same time, also doves 'at it' on the telephone wires.