Today’s picture has been sent to me from across the water by a fellow blogger, Jerry Vis (Quiet Solo Pursuits), and I am delighted that he has taken the trouble. His blog is well worth a visit if you like good bird pictures accompanied by the occasional rant (and canoeing).
You couldn’t see much of anything at all round here this morning as the snow was coming down by the bucketful when I got up.
Mrs Tootlepedal went off to sing in the church choir and I put a week of the newspaper index into the database and by the time that we met up again, this was all that was left…
As the snow melted, the birds took up their positions.
I was just thinking that it might be possible to go for a cycle ride after lunch when…..
I thought that would be that for the day but once again the snow started to melt as rapidly as it had arrived. The birds were not discouraged.
There were some head to head confrontations.
Our big chicken had its back to the wind today.
So rapid was the disappearance of the snow that about an hour after taking these pictures, I was able to get out the slow bike and pedal the three miles up to Wauchope Schoolhouse just to stretch my legs. You might have thought that it was a pleasant day…
…and it was as long as you weren’t trying to cycle back to Langholm into the teeth of a howling, gusty, freezing wind. I had to engage a low gear and pedal like fun even when going down the hills. I had thought of going a bit further when the wind was behind me on the way out but I was very glad that I didn’t. At one moment, a particularly heavy gust nearly brought me to a dead stop.
Out of a clear sky as I puffed my way home, a few ominous flurries of snow appeared and it was not long after I was safely ensconced in a comfy chair near a radiator, that the snow started again.
The rest of the afternoon and the evening were spent not going outside.
The flying bird of the day is a composite of wings at the feeder.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
There are some angry looking eyes amongst your feeder shots – very atmospheric.
It’s a hotly contested area.
I like the position and contrast of the grey and black on your jackdaw. He is quite distinguished.
I like them in moderation.
🙂 So are they pests?
They are noisy and some people with garden feeders find them overwhelming but they are not pests.
I’ve never heard of a jackdaw. It’s a beautiful bird.
They are not a much loved bird. The is a splendid poem called the Jackdaw of Rheims which may explain why.
Here our American crows steal shiny objects. I wonder if the two birds are related.
Maybe there is a common liking for pretty things among birds just as there is among people!
Thanks for the shout out, and your wonderful photos. I have come to the conclusion that the weather there is even more changeable than it is here, and we’re known to have all four seasons in a day. It looks like you get all four in an hour at times.
It is unusually changeable just now.
How many years did it take to shape/grow the “big chicken”?
I’ll have to consult the gardener on that but not nearly as long as you might think. It grows all the time of course and gets clipped once a year.
What awful weather, poor you.
Loved all the different birds in the plum tree!
The jackdaw is sinister looking but I like it.
They are fine unless you get a lot of them when they become less fun to have around,
Amazing the sudden changes of scene with the snow coming and going like that. Very brave to bicyle in the freezing wind. It has made its way down here today and the first flakes of snow are whirling around.
That’s quite a weather day. Rides that start with the wind at your back are always problematic. Much better to take on the challenge at the start and enjoy the ride home, in my opinion.
There is no easy road to go east from the town sadly.
Love the action shots at the feeders, Tom. Always a treat to see them interacting!
It’s a constant source of entertainment for me if not quite as exciting as a pair of ospreys.