Garden birds, and how they're difficult to photograph when you don't have a telephoto lens

We've been enjoying watching the birds in our garden this week. There are masses of them around at the moment, and it's absolutely fascinating to watch them. They seem to have very definite patterns of feeding, and you could almost set your watch by some of them. It's worrying when you don't see a certain bird for a little while, and you start to assume that it's been eaten by a cat! But so far they've always made it back eventually. Mind you, we can't tag them so we can't be sure the same birds do come back. Here are some of them.

Blackbird eating worms.

Not a bad picture of one of our goldfinches. We have lots, all day. They're costing me a fortune in thistle seeds! Love them though :) They shout at us at around tea time if we're still out in the garden making a lot of noise, because they want to come in for their tea. Recently they've been coming in anyway, even if we're still there! Wow! It's amazing, and we all sit very still and hold our breath while they eat. Sometimes Matthew forgets to be quiet, and he shouts something and they fly off. But they always seem to forgive him, and they come back the next day. Aren't they beautiful? I can recognise them when they're flying now, even though I can't see their colours. And I can recognise their calls too.

We're not sure if this is a female greenfinch or a siskin; both look similar in the book we have. I've not been able to get a clear enough picture to make out the colouring properly. It doesn't come to visit very often, but you can spot it easily when it does, because it's such a vivid green. The colour hasn't come out too well in this photo.

A goldfinch from the back. They always come in pairs, and this one's mate is on the other side of the feeder.

A blue tit in the tree behind our garden. This one used to just turn up very occasionally, but lately it's been coming every day. Yesterday, while we were out in the garden being very quiet, we were joined by this blue tit, a great tit, and a coal tit as well. When we see a new bird in the garden I get whopper goosebumps, it's so exciting. For next Spring we're going to move our bird box to a better place, and hopefully we'll get something to nest in it.

Another of the goldfinches. It's difficult to say how many pairs visit us, because they could just be one pair that comes several times a day. But there are always plenty of them around, and one of the trees behind our garden is packed full of them at around sunset.

So, apologies for the not-very-good photos of the birds that frequent our garden, but I'm working on it. I'd like to get a telephoto lens for my camera, but the adapter alone is more than I can afford, so I'm going to have to save up. After I've paid for the trip to Barbados for Noomski and Jessica's wedding, my savings account can be used for a new lens and adapter :) (No credit card for me, no way!)

It's not just the camera that's the problem, of course. The birds themselves are very difficult to photograph with just your ordinary digital camera with a 4x optical zoom! They don't stay for very long, so if you've left the camera upstairs you've no chance of retrieving it in time. The camera is always guaranteed to be handy when there are goldfinches in the garden, because although we love them dearly, we have plenty of photos of them. The camera will mysteriously disappear when there's an unidentified green bird in the garden, or an elusive coal tit. But I'm being very patient, and I'll get some good photos one day. Sometimes it's just nice to watch them, without getting snap happy :) Sometimes you have to stop photographing, and get on with doing.

Garden birds, and how kids break your heart.

There's something so bittersweet about taking my eldest son Thomas to do something new and exciting. This week he has been at the half-term sports club almost every day (he had a day off yesterday as it was just getting a bit much for him, he just wanted to spend one of his holiday days with us doing something relaxing and fun). And my heart has broken every morning as I've said goodbye to him. I have let him go into the sports hall with cuddles and kisses (discreet ones of course, there are loads of other very cool kids there, and I wouldn't want to embarrass my poor little fella!), and I have watched from the window as he valiantly joins in with the game that's in progress, putting on a brave smile, trying to talk to other kids who are not interested in making a new friend because they already have their school friends with them. Thomas has been alone all week, none of his friends from school signed up for the club. Okay, so all that I've described so far has been bitter. I know what he feels, how the shyness rises up from your stomach, through your chest, affecting your breathing, elevating your heart rate, constricting your throat so that you feel you might choke to death, how it causes your vocal chords to do something strange so that when you pluck up the courage to talk you sound like some kind of Frank Oz character!! I see other kids looking at Thomas as if he's a bit odd, or rather ignoring him completely, not even registering his presence in the room. I know that feeling, and it's not nice.

BUT. Thomas keeps trying. Thomas is not daunted. Thomas overcomes his shyness, and ignores the fact that it's hard to fit in, that it's difficult to break into a group of firm friends, that not many people understand his quirkiness and his differentness. And the fact that he is able to stay in a room where all these things are happening makes me feel an overwhelming sense of awe for Thomas. He is amazing. I am proud of him, incredibly. I love that he is a bit odd, that his friends at school are still not sure how to take him, that they look at him like he's weird when he starts telling them a long story about his weekend adventures, but are still fond of him anyway. Eventually his friends will have enough maturity to be able to deal with how they feel about Thomas, and they will learn that he is a loyal and precious friend, and that they wouldn't be without him. They will appreciate his kindness when he takes care of them when they need it.

It would be the easiest wish in the world, for me to want Thomas to change, to be like every other child so that he can fit in easily and not be looked at the way he is. But I don't really want that. I want him to stay just as he is, perfect. Overcoming the challenges that he does can only serve to make him strong and wise, and that is so important.

Not related to Thomas, but this morning I saw two blackbirds, a collared dove and two goldfinches in my garden, when I was making my coffee (I have started drinking coffee and I don't know why!! I am tempted to buy some proper coffee and get out the cafetiere, what is happening to me?!). I haven't seen a collared dove for a couple of years, so this is a very nice development. This afternoon, because the weather is beautiful today, we will be assembling that new feeding station. We couldn't do it the other day because we ran out of time, and yesterday was a horrible day weather-wise. I will take some pictures of the boys in the garden :)

How I love my blog - even though no-one is following me yet!

Spring is here today. It definitely is. There was frost this morning, but it was evaporating from the fence panels as the sun came up, and was whisping away into the water cycle!