I Might Have Known.....

.... the first bird I spotted using the suet ball feeder would be





a Magpie.

These were taken with the Nikon Coolpix S9050 I bought in December 2012.  It's doing a grand job as the photo numbering reached 9999 and started again from 0001 a few days ago. That means it has taken over 10,000 shots. It is still using the original battery which automatically charges every time I plug the camera in the laptop to download the photos.

Rod, Pole or Perch

I wonder whether that title conjures up memories of using Imperial measures in maths lessons for those of a similar age to myself. Relax, no maths today though. I have seen what looks like a few beak marks in the top jar of the peanut feeder. Since I received the feeder I have had some doubts as to how easy it is for birds to actually get at the jars once they are inside the cage. To my mind it really needs a perch or two to make things easier for them. To that end I have installed a length of wood - one of several uses I find for spent rocket firework sticks found after Bonfire Night or New Year celebrations.



If that works I will install another perch near the bottom two jars.

For those not familiar with our old Imperial units of measurement there is a useful web page HERE which gives some insight into their origins. I wonder how many younger people know that the length of an adult cricket wicket is one chain. (1 chain = 22 yards = 4 rods)

On the weather front - I repaired the heater just in time
 

It is hovering around 0C this morning.

Monday Mystery

Been a busy morning. Into town first thing to have new lenses fitted in my glasses. Had a pot of tea and a toasted teacake in a nearby café to pass the half hour while they were fitted. Bought some tap washers as I have a dripping tap that needs seeing to. On arriving home I took Penny for her mid morning walk then stripped down a night storage heater and replaced a burned out heating element. Good job I keep spares. Now I'm busy trying to catch up with myself.

Last week's mystery photo

 

was correctly identified as a close shot of



my glasses (spectacles) by Ragged Robin, Kris, Adrian and Ellen. Well done and thanks to all who had a go.

I wonder how this one will go



It's a close view of what?
Please leave any guesses in the comments.
They will be revealed, along with the answer, next Monday.

Enticement

Still no takers for the peanut butter feeder. Not a single beak mark.
It always takes time for birds to try out new feeders so I though I would add an enticement.



I've hung a fat ball feeder underneath as they are used to those.
As you can see the jars of peanut butter are well back from the front of the cage.
Even the long Magpie beak couldn't reach through far enough.

Not What I Expected

I spotted only one visitor to the new feeder yesterday.
I had expected it to be a House Sparrow or Blue Tit not ......



...... a Magpie.
It did its best to get its head through the bars but left empty beaked.
As far as I could tell it was the only visitor.
There were no beak marks in any of the jars of peanut butter.
Early days yet. It had only been up for a few hours.

The bird table has had lots of activity, mainly House Sparrows, Starlings and Blue Tits.
An occasional visitor is a Coal Tit.

 

As is usual at this time of year the Coal Tit will take black Sunflower seeds and hide them in the ground or in a crevice in a tree trunk. I have watched them do both in previous Winters.

New Feeder

Today I took delivery of a new bird feeder from C J Wildlife, where I purchase most of my bird food and feeders. Fast next day service with free carriage on all orders until the end of the year.



This one is designed to hold jars of peanut butter. This is specially made for birds and comes in several varieties.



Most peanut butter for human consumption is not usable as it contains added salt.

This feeder can hold three jars and has a guard to let smaller birds have a chance of feeding.
Here it is fitted to the end of my shed





Now I wait to see who will be the first to try it out. A few years ago I tried a single jar open feeder. The Starlings soon found it and the jar was empty in less than a week.

Spotless

Sunspots are very rare while the Sun is in solar minimum for activity. There was a small, short lived one about eight days ago which scientists worked out was part of the next Solar cycle.

Yesterday there was a transit of the tiny planet Mercury across the visible surface of the Sun. I have found it easy photographing Sun spots but shooting this event was far more difficult. First I tried the Canon M5 with the 400mm zoom lens. No problem photographing the Sun, with a proper solar filter to protect the camera, but Mercury didn't show at all well. In the end I swapped the camera body for my trusty Canon 70D. It has an annoying 'fault' where successive auto exposure shots may vary wildly .  As it happened the very last shot I took captured the tiny black dot of Mercury as it moved between us and the Sun.



It can be seen about a fifth of the way across at mid height in this cropped photo.
The Sun is about 1,391,000 Km (864,327 miles) in diameter
Mercury is about 4,879 Km ( 3,032 miles) in diameter, 38% the size of the Earth.

There won't be another chance until 2032.