Bullfinch and nuthatch facing each other

I had my head down today with more picture editing for the Plan and other things.  The early morning light rain didn't encourage me to go outside.  But by late afternoon the sun shone brightly and the strong breeze kept the the tree branches moving.

I stocked up with sunflowers seeds yesterday from the farmshop so I could refill the feeders with the seeds and also some peanuts for the peckers.  I 'm expecting to do more photography around town for the next few days as the Stroud Fringe Festival comes to town again.  There will be several stages, street theatre and a procession and I want some pictures of the Neighbourhood Plan document showing people enjoying the town's streets and parks.

so I sat in the cabin drinking my tea and waiting for birds to feed.  There was quote a rush of various tits, robins, goldfinches and a dunnock.  But I was amused to see this bullfinch, with its changing plumage, in a Mexican stand-off with a nuthatch. I presume the lighter coloured with mottled patches are the feathers of summer being moulted and will be replaced by the rich red plumage which they normally have. But then again it might be a young bird from this year's brood.  We normally have three pairs of bullfinches in the back gardens and they stay all year round. There are also two pairs of nuthatches, which have also had several broods this year.

Normally these two species are the big bullies at the feeders, so to see them both refusing to give an inch was rather unusual.