My turn for a Blackcap!

Monday 30th January 2023.

The male Blackcap in my garden this morning. That was totally unexpected.

The birds were still enjoying the food I put out for them this morning within my Southsea  garden and on checking them around 11am this morning, I noticed something interesting on the Suet Pellet feeder. After Andy Fisher got one in his garden yesterday, I then also got a gorgeous male Blackcap in my garden! The weather was sunny, with a bit of patchy overhead cloud, but nowhere near as cold as the weekend just gone.

The male Blackcap this morning took a liking to the food I put out for the birds.

I ran to grab my camera and waited patiently for the bird to return having been flushed by one of the House Sparrows and eventually, it flew in and I managed to grab a few photos of this most welcome garden visitor and my first one of the year too. The bird, I noticed, was taking a liking to both the Suet Pellets (which I topped up again this morning) and also the half Apples I have scattered in the front of my flower bed at the back of the garden. I noticed the Blackbirds were also interested in the Apples too.

Above, even the Robin came in to pick off a seed or two. Below, the ever-hungry House Sparrows enjoying their feast.

During a 15 minute spell, the bird came into the garden a few times more until it all went quiet, though a male Blackbird, a single Starling, a Robin and a pair of Great Tits also came into the garden to make use of the bountiful supply of food put out for them. The Blackcap now puts me on 129 species for the year, which is rather good for just the first month of the year.

Above, the male Blackcap on the Suet Pellet feeder. Below, one of our local Starlings came in to feed on the Pellets.

I sent Andy a text to say what I had seen and he replied that he was taking a walk down the Canal Path at Titchfield and happily added the Glossy Ibis to his year list.  

One of the pair of Great Tits enjoying a sunflower heart.