The pheasant family come to visit

It's a dull grey day so the light's not good and they're well camouflaged, but the pheasant family's back, footling about under the birds feeders. If you squint hard, you'll see five of them. Haven't seen them for a while. Daddy was here earlier, in his own, but he'd gone by the time I got the camera out. I expect to see them more often as the weather gets colder.

It's an emotional business, feeding the birds. While I was hanging out some washing the other day, I heard the unmistakeable squeaks of a flock of long-tailed tits. I looked up, and they were hopping up and down in the tree above me, waiting for me to go so they could tackle the fat balls. One was so keen s/he didn't wait, but started eating while I was on the other side of a towel. They're comical, pretty little birds, and it cheered me up to see and hear them.

Sadly, the pigeons and collared doves seem to be affected by trichomonosis again, a nasty disease that's decimated the local greenfinch population. I've found two very sick birds in the garden that both died.