Bird of the Week

I saw two birds apparently admiring themselves in a window one day this week.

Male chaffinch

I've since learnt that the old lady who lives there has a bird feeder that they visit. Perhaps they were trying to tell her it was empty.

The chaffinch is one of our prettier birds, especially the more colourful male.

Chaffinch on wall outside my home office window in 2013.

Fences in use - Good Fences 42

A fence can have many uses; it just depends on your point of view.

Garden fence - June 2014

The tall blue flowers are Delphiniums, those at the left are Geraniums and the light blue on the right are Canterbury Bells. The pink flowers, just in shot, are Foxgloves. All these break up the view of the fence.

View from Whitby pier towards the aptly named Sandsend

The railing on the breakwater/harbour wall at Whitby has been put to a different use.

Railing 'painted' by the birds

Meanwhile one of Britain's colourful birds uses the top rail of a fence for beam exercises.

Chaffinch

How many marks out of ten for his performance?

This has been post for  

at Good-Fences-42.

Sadness - Thematic Photography

I've found it hard to match Carmi's sadness theme, but thanks to a memory stick this is what I've found.

First my obligatory dog.

Sam with his head down - hissed off the lake

I've seen a lot of animals, the victims of road kill but this one I saw being hit by a car.

With its toes turned up (or down)

I even picked it up to study its plumage.

Male Chaffinch

I hope my granddaughter will forgive me for showing here dressed as

A witch

For other tales of sadness visit the links at Thematic-photographic-259.

A-Z Challenge 2013 - 'C' Chaffinch ...

My A-Z posts this year are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies - with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat somewhat – a sort of wish they were here.

C - Chaffinch, Clematis, Cabbage White, Canterbury Bell 

It’s not just for A-Z that we can say,

Oh to be in England

Now that April’s there.

Chaffinch

 And whoever wakes in England

Sees, some morning unaware

That the lowest bough and the brushwood sheaf

Round the elm tree hole are in tiny leaf

While the chaffinch sings on ordered bough

In England now!

Chaffinch

When it comes to climbing plants not many will say they will wear purple when they grow old . Here’s one that tries every year.

Clematis

  Purple and green the clematis
Leans down my lady's mouth to kiss.

 Meanwhile:

The butterfly, a cabbage-white

(His honesty of flight)

Will never now, it is too late,

Master the art of flying straight,

Cabbage White butterfly

  Is it him I wonder who has changed these flowers from blue to white?

Canterbury Bells

 I think the Canterbury bells are playing little tunes.

Poems:

• Oh to be in England – Robert Browning
• A Song of Clematis – Ethel Clifford
• Flying Crooked – Robert Graves
• Madonna of the Evening Flowers – Amy Lowell