Plume de Ville

10 January

Always mild weather, grey and rain.

30 seconds of visits around noon. And of course, a small night visit near 17h15.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

14-17 January

Same weather, very grey, rainy and windy. Yeah everything here, but still very mild. Spring shows the tip his nose.

Mr Grat Tit sings lengthily on the birch. The couple of wood pigeons came back and talked tenderly in the bottom garden before making their first visit of the year to their favourite window box in the balcony. They much loved my snapdragons.

The buds are appearing everywhere. The bulbs shoot.

Parade in the birch, which for the belle which observes. He began his appeal singing. Perched high on the birch he sings without interruption. This is him, perched on the nest box with the characteristic down position of the wings. Then look at the entrance to the nest box. And  he enters.
The visits become regular, daily (14 (2), 15, 16 (3) and 17 (2)). Except ... strange, not the weekend! Do they leave for the WE? We have already seen this some weekends. Less tranquillity on the balconies or more calm in places nearby?

   

The 16th, three visits to the nest box with a long one, a minute 30. At 11h it makes movements to pack... nothing. The nest box is still empty, but the attitude is the same used to pack the moss in the nest.

The last photo shows a blue ghost at the top of the photo. Has he been able to persuade her to visit? Maybe.

She stays in the nest box often a long time to ponder, without moving.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

18 January

 [The webcam is now in service (WEBCAM link).]

Rainy day. It is grey and gloomy. And, under the rain between two mouthfuls, he sings.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

21 January

Sorry, not yet translated. Translation in progress.

Still grey, wind, rain.

The tits were very present, seven visits Sunday increasingly long (5 minutes). And then, suddenly, the balcony filled with blue tits: five! Some pursuits later, only our owners are left.

He hangs at the door. He will enter, she observes.

                                                                   
                                                                    Come see. Don't leave!

                        In the nest box, waiting patiently.  Video 20 January 2008 12h09 218ko 40s.

	Merci de patienter quelques secondes pendant le chargement...
	Ouvrir avec un autre programme.

A quick glance.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

22 January

Blue sky in the afternoon. Many visits today.

Position somewhat defensive. Friend? Then down in the corner. We can see the shadow of another bird at the door. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

23 January

A beautiful and luminous day.

It's a little boring in the nest box, so we brought a little something to nibble!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

27 January

Freeze this morning and frost on the terraces. Super beautiful sun during the day.

Over the past week the visits are very frequent and are very long, up to a half an hour presence.

  It is the weekend, but they are there and spent the morning on the balcony.

Well, it is becoming a habit! She brought a sunflower seed.

Some training movements.  Video 27 January 2008 12h53 400ko 40s

	Merci de patienter quelques secondes pendant le chargement...
	Ouvrir avec un autre programme.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

28 January

Yeah, really a habit.

A sparrow was caught on the balcony. This is the first time this has happened (thankfully). This could be the work of a pie, but the way it was conscientiously and in a completely feathered in a window box; it is more probable that it was rather a predatory bird (common kestrel?). We have already seen them twice on the balcony. I am a little surprised that it stayed there to eat his prey.

Last year, in December, I was on the terrace when I heard the piercing frightened cries of a gang of sparrows. It was the cry of fear rather than their usual cry of squabbling. And I see coming at high speed a score of sparrows, which bolt under the foliage of trees and shrubs of the terrace. A noiseless shadow, I turn over and I see one metre from me, on the railing of the balcony landing a common kestrel. I stop moving! He turns his head, looks, wings still half open, hesitates, evaluates of the situation just for a few seconds.… well, missed this time, and he resumed his flight. In the excitement of the hunt, he bolted seeing nothing else and both of us were surprised.

Our friends the sparrows often pay tribute in the city. It was wonderful but I prefer to see him hunting a little farther!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

29 January

Always cold and grey.

When a little light happens to traverse the greyness, he sings perched in the birch, the blue cap erected. Then he pursues her from branch to branch. This is him perched on the wires next to the nest box and in birch. When they are together, they are easy to identify because she is much smaller than him. It is easy to recognize him by his attitude. Just a moment after this shot she enters the nest box.  There are a lot of wires and cables at the balcony. They are not very aesthetic but essential to cope with the strong gusts of wind.

They remain little time near each other without moving, and this is a rare photo of both. He is perched above the bignonia branch, one of their favourite perch (and mine too).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

30 January

Very grey day, it's raining, cold (1 °C -4 °C) and windy. 

Over the past week the visits took place in the morning until 13h and then the tits disappear all the afternoon. It is 17h they have not returned since 12h30.

                                                 

And hop! The agility of Mr Sparrow.