Half-time

There has been a feeding frenzy in the bushes along the river as the young Red Cheeked Starlings have all now left their nests, they were everywhere.

Every year they raid someone's cherry tree. These females must have been stealing from someone's garden.

Sometimes the young didn't know what to do with the cherries.........

The adults had cherry stains on their fronts.........

I tried to get some interesting shots but failed as most of the feeding was being done in the middle of the bushes.

They often perch on the tops of bushes at least..............

The Red Cheeked Starlings leaving the nests is pretty much the last thing to photograph for a while (unless something unusual pops up) and it is a nice way to end the first half of any calendar year.

The lone Siberian Stonechat and Chestnut Eared Bunting were still singing, the Oriental Reed Warblers too. In about a week or so they'll stop and the baby Starlings will be strong enough to fend for themselves and that species will no longer pose for the camera.

Lots of baby Great Tits around recently too.

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