The Eagle has landed...

Well, that's what the birds on the feeders by the house might have thought....
Woke up this morning to a covering of snow again...
and the sight of that Long-eared Owl [Asio otus] Hibou Moyen-duc here again...
normally I don't look out of the bedroom window early...
haven't got my eyes in!
But Pauline groggily asked "Is it still snowing?"

Perhaps I should more often...
the Long-Eared Owl was perched on part of some willow brash that I'd left last year....
nice, I thought, it's still around.
It flew off towards the dead willow....
almost a silhouette against the white.
It struck... in the snow.. and flew on with something.

I came [sorry...was dragged]down to feed the cats....
job done... went to re-vamp some old coffee...
look out of window to see something large fly past toward the cherry tree feeders...
something about that shape, the "jizz",  said...
that wasn't the Kestrel....
no....
it was.........

Wozzat? {Excuse the quality... I still hadn't got me eyes adjusted}

Just scanning...

just perched.. and I got that shot before it flew off again.
The most amazing thing to me was that the small birds...
mainly Siskins and various Tits...
happily carried on feeding...
as if they knew it wasn't looking for them as food.

This shot shows how close...

It was on the left...

 But in taking that last shot, I notice that the feeders are getting low...
I'll trudge out in the snow in a few minutes...
when I have cocooned myself in warm, weatherproof clothing...
and refill the feeders....
the field one is totally empty!

The field feeder is towards the bottom left... and look,  there's a Jeremy flying in!

Now is not the time to stop feeding the birds...
it is time to put out extras!

A small party of Reed Buntings [Emberiza schoeniclus] Bruant des Roseaux are here...
foraging in the willow nursery area...
one of the few areas of bare ground...
they'll come under the house feeders.

These are either females, or still in Winter plumage.

And the Pheasants are right by the house...
under those feeders...
except the cock who...
hanging around on the opposite side of the millstream...
is desperately trying to attract one of them...

Look at me... please look at me... I'm the greatest... look at my pretty colours!

Here... look at the other side!!

Go on...
he looks good against the snow, girls...
despite the silly posturing.