Two turtle doves

No French hens this Christmas, nor any partridges in a pear tree but I spotted two turtle doves pecking at our bird feeder this week.  With their cute ring collars and naive instinct to nest for life, I can't help but hope this may be a good omen for my forthcoming marriage.   Awww (yuck)

Later I managed to snap this chap at work.


A male Cardinal, very common in north America.   We have no birds of such bright colouring in the UK; to me, he looks tropical.  The Cardinal evidently fascinated earlier European settlers as much as it has captivated me, because this is the official bird of SEVEN States.  I have also seen an American robin, red-breasted like his European cousin but clearly an altogether different bird.  I wonder how homesick the early settlers must have been to name the American robin after an only slightly similar indigenous bird of Britain.  Homesick, or drunk.

Naturally, I now feel quite smug about my decision to buy pricier squirrel-repellent bird food.  This food is cajun flavoured - apparently the discerning squirrel has no tolerance of spicy foods.  I have read that cajun food makes squirrels who do eat it more susceptible to hypothermia in cold weather.  Well, whatever! That stuff is EXPENSIVE, so let that be a lesson to them!

So, naturally, "Merry Christmas one and all and goodwill to all mankind".  

Many thanks to my sister for sending this first Xmas ornament which Hank and I hung on our DC tree.