The Big Garden Birdwatch

This morning's visit to Flighty's blog reminded me that this weekend is the last of January and that means The Big Garden Birdwatch. I have only been doing this for the last three or four years but on Sunday morning, I shall be duly installed in the conservatory, coffee and binoculars to hand. This winter, I have been feeding the birds as usual and the vast majority have been great tits and blue tits with some blackbirds, dunnocks and, of course, the ever present magpies. Then there's the resident robin who seems to take great delight in chasing off all the other birds whenever he is around, but the biggest pains of all are the squirrels who have yet to be convinced that the food I put out is not actually for them at all.
However, my secret weapon, Paddy has lately taken to hurling himself at the bottom fence where they appear whenever he is let out and that seems to have made them a little more wary. He has yet to realise that the squirrels move a lot more quickly than him and can be back up in the trees laughing at him before he has reached the fence.
There have been a few narrow misses though, so squirrels, don't be too complacent. One of these days, one of you will go home missing a tail!