17th and 18th July

My plan for the weekend was to do some tidying up in the garden, mowing, cutting the Laurel and Privet back, but I love my weeds,  I have lots of Poppies with their heads about to crack, then I will harvest the seed and put them in a container for sowing elsewhere.  I have thistle in my front garden which has attracted Goldfinches, and in hedge in the back garden, our pair of Collared Doves are incubating again, having successfully fledged two young from an earlier nest.
At the end of the day on the 17th I relaxed for a while in the calm of the warm evening hoping for calls of overhead passage waders in the night sky.  At 2250 I was rewarded with an overhead, calling Green Sandpiper.  Waders are on the move.
Before starting my second day of gardening, I decided on visiting a location near North Pickenham, again, in the hope of seeing, or hearing passage waders, but nothing recorded.
Hedgerows were checked and I found 4 Blackcap (2 males and 2 juveniles), Whitethroat, several Chiffchaffs, 1 Swift, singing Yellowhammer, Linnet, and the highlight for me this morning, a pair of Bullfinches with the male looking spectacular as he gave his simple 'piping' call.

Starling in the garden. This juvenile is clearly beginning to acquire adult plumage.

I arrived back home mid morning and enjoyed a coffee before getting started on the garden.  Once again, Starlings featured as the most abundant species seen in the garden, the greatest numbers being juvenile birds.  Watching these Starlings I was able to appreciate how boisterous they have become, and indeed how comical they are too in their antics towards each other.  Of particular note, I also saw that these juvenile Starlings are beginning to acquire patches of adult feathering on their breast sides and flanks, along with the darkening of wing coverts.  Beautiful birds.