Wino Wendys Wildlife World : Just one of those days at work...

My day started off badly last night, when I made the stupid decision to leave my camera at work. I don't generally get home until 8pm, and I'm back out at 5.45am in the morning, so figured I wouldn't need my camera, no point in lugging it all the way home and back to work again. Wrong !!!

At 6.10am this morning the bus I was on, stopped on one of the perimeter roads around the airport. Still sleepy, I glanced out of the window and there just a few feet above about 20 passengers waiting to get on the bus, were five Waxwings feeding low down in the trees.

And I had no camera. If I had I would have jumped off the bus, phoned work to say I was going to be late, and happily snapped away. The early light was fantastic and the Waxwings almost glowed. But I didn't have my camera. Ever felt like kicking yourself ??? However, despite me being annoyed with myself, I then started wondering why Waxwings are still around. They're still being seen all over the country. Surely by now, they should be on their way back to Scandinavia ? If there are so many around still, will they actually breed in the UK this year ?

Once at work, I messaged a friend to put my sighting on London Birders, then settled down to get some work done. I could tell it was going to be a quiet day. The phones weren't ringing and I only had a few drivers out and about.

A couple of times I went down the paddocks. Nelson, Star and Stevie were pleased to get their carrots from me. Katie has now been moved to new stables, so I only have three horses to talk to for a while. Even though it was a lovely day there wasn't much to see down there. No butterflies to photograph, not even the resident Kestrel was around. And the fox, who sunbathes on the grassy bank, was hunkered down so low I could barely see him/her.

spot the fox

bee

female Linnet

ladybird

Starling

Woodpigeon bath time

Nelson on his way over for a carrot or three

Just before lunch, I was out in the yard checking over a couple of trucks. I sensed rather than saw a movement behind me, turned around and saw a beautiful large female Sparrowhawk sitting on my office roof. She was watching me, I was watching her, and where was my camera ??? Inside the office. I had no option but to edge nearer the office door, but before I could a Magpie mobbed Mrs Sprawk and she flew off low and fast across the yard. I raced inside, grabbed my camera, shot back out and there she was, past the conifers, and way too far away for any decent photo.

Mrs Sprawk

Just after lunch, one of my drivers came back to the yard. I had been thinking about the Waxwings all morning, and made a plan. As the bus stop was just round the corner from one of my contract customers, I made the executive decision to send my driver there to collect some outstanding paperwork.

I, of course, would accompany him with the office phones diverted to the mobile phone. So off we went. Bob dropped me off near to the bus stop and went off to collect the paperwork from our customer. I lingered about the bus stop for over twenty minutes before Bob came back, but of course no Waxwings re-appeared. Today really was not meant to be my lucky day !

Back at the yard, I settled down to complete the days paperwork. Word started filtering through of a MEGA bird being seen. I checked the sightings and really could not believe my eyes......a Black Kite had been seen soaring above the BP Headquarters in Sunbury. That is less than half a mile from where I work. I checked the time of the sighting, and it stated 12 noon, the time I was in the yard checking the trucks !!!!

My camera was now on the desk next to me. The office has large evergreens behind it, so is permanently in shade until early evening. A fluttering movement caught my eye above my computer screen. There on the wall outside, right next to the window, was a Goldfinch.

I carefully and quietly picked up my camera, and fired off a couple of pics, then moved around the computer screen to see what the Goldfinch was doing.

All of my pics are fairly dark as the little bird was in shade.