The last berries....

It's been a beautiful day today, and I've hardly had a chance to get out! This morning was spent preparing for our regular science session - mostly tidying, hoovering, planning and sorting out the chemicals and apparatus. And this afternoon was spent teaching four lively teenage boys about the transition metals, particularly iron and copper. Luckily all the exeriments went to plan - and we made the most glorious deep ultramarine solution containing a complex copper ion. I think they were impressed!

I managed to get a few shots of our snowdrops first thing this morning, to make sure I had something to post tonight. But a bit later on, while emptying the hoover, I noticed a large flock of redwings in some nearby birch trees. I took my camera upstairs and was duly rewarded by good views of them coming down to eat the cotoneaster berries. I know I've blipped a redwing before, but they are quite a rare visitor to our garden, and this time you can really see the orange-red patch under the wing.

Just before lunch I had to pop out to fetch some printer ink, and I then realised why our bush seems to have become so popular. There are hardly any berries left in our part of the city! It would be nice if we attracted some waxwings (a flock flew over the garden a couple of days ago) but I think the redwings may well polish the last berries off before they have a chance to find them!

PS Many thanks to everyone for the comments and favourites for yesterday's offering - I was really chuffed. The words were very few because I'd spent all day preparing the hall for re-decorating and just didn't have any energy left!