[snowdrop]

Wow! Thanks for the gallery Commander.

Having been brought up in a concrete/tile yard environment I am amazed at the variety of birds to be found here. Though I am familiar with some of the more common ones.
The house sparrow for instance, I recall how they drove me mad with their very loud and constant cheep-cheep (which by the way, didn,t stop when the nesting season was over) but they declined and I was surprised at how much I missed them.
I was delighted when earlier this year- a couple of years after moving to a greener area -they took up residence next door. But it was not to be, they were ousted by a builder who came to repair the roof.

I have three very large and very thick bushes in my back garden which provide a great source of entertainment.
This spring Mr Blackbird brought his new wife to view the middle bush where he had successfully reared two broods but the leaf coverage hadn,t thickened sufficiently and she wasn,t impressed. They flew off and a pair of robins took their place.
After about a week the Blackbirds came back and tried to evict them. What a battle followed, and what a warrior the little robin proved to be. I had to take my hat off to him as he fought two larger birds...and defended his wife sitting tight on the nest.
The blackbirds retired to the corner bush.

It proved to be a bad year for Mr blackbird for a pair of Magpies killed his first brood and then brought their offspring back with them later to destroy his nest completely.