Woodpeckers again – an adult feeding a juvenile

This is not a good photograph at all. It is blurry, contains reflections and is otherwise unsatisfying, mostly because it was taken through two layers of glass. Definitely, in terms of the subject matter, one of those good photographs that got away. I have upped the contrast to mitigate somewhat, but not even Samsung’s AI (which I strongly prefer not to use anyway) can create a silk purse out of this one. Nevertheless, what a wonderful sight – the adult, right, feeding the juvenile, left. I will try harder but that scenario may not arise at the right moment again.

I am much happier with the image of this juvenile below. I am uncertain of the species but think he or she is a House Sparrow. Photographing birds at feeders is not too tricky, but this is far more pleasing in a natural setting and I like the way the light and shadow work.

Whilst taking these I watched thistle seeds being gently blown and borne away by the breeze. I love thistles and had this to say about them in Animal Wild:

It was telling that, being very fond of thistles, when I searched the websites of two local garden centres to see what they had in stock, I found myself in both cases on the page for the systemic, broad-spectrum weedkiller Roundup, which contains glyphosate, a chemical widely used in farming, forestry and gardening, which yellows and kills everything, and has terrible knock-on, long-term effects on wildlife, not only because of habitat loss but for example in badgers where it is thought possible that ingestion may even affect their breeding abilities, on bees’ ability to keep their colonies within the necessary temperature range, and likely on us too. 

I used this illustration of a globe thistle, not quite yet turning blue, in the book:

I planted them two years ago and nothing happened at all in the first year, but this year and last they did and are doing well and have appeared elsewhere in the garden too:

I am also pleased to see the return of cow parsley – pretty ubiquitous and perhaps thought of as a weed by some, but I think it’s beautiful.