WILL THE WOODPECKER ON MY BALCONY.

• On the tenth of March Will came on to my balcony and ate from the wooden feeder, and I took loads of photos to share. Please forgive the fact that they are all very similar, I just kept clicking away, enjoying the spectacle of Will at the wooden box feeder for the very first time. Will likes the cake I fill it with, and so do the birds and squirrels.This cake does not have walnuts, it is flavoured with orange juice, but the birds and squirrels love it. As you know oranges are a great source of vitamin C, and the juice can help the birds stay healthy during the months when bugs and other insects are scarce

As I have mentioned before, my balcony is in deep shade in the morning and that is when Will is most likely to appear. It is always so delightful to see his adorable face, and watch his movements. This is another unforgettable experience.

A WALK IN THE PARK.

In February we had a few fine days.Eva suggested going for a walk  to Sara Morreira Park on the newly surfaced  pathways, which made walking much easier on the level ground. Sara Morreira Park is not known for it's wildlife, quite the contrary, it's a pleasant park with shady trees near the river, but I always take my camera with me for now and again common species of birds can be seen which might still be of interest. 

On the bottom left you can see the water flowing over on to the rocks below. 

The water at this end of the river is turbulent, until it becomes calm further downriver. 

Can you see the pig?

Hybrid Geese.

These tree trunks are submerged in the swollen river water.

 

There was an abundance of wild flowers to photograph.

Wall lizard

The Crane Fly

As you probably already know if you have ever tried to get nearer to a Pied Wagtail on foot, they just run further away with every step you take, so these shots were taken at a distance, this accounts for the poor images. These bird shots were very far away and cropped as much as I dared.

The female Blackbird.

The Wingless House-cricket  Gryllomrpha dalmatina

The Blackbird and the Thrush were hunting for their next meal.

Although they are common species, they are actually lovely birds

when photographed in focus and at close range.

The Heron and the ducks were captured on a previous visit, but I'm including them here.

Approaching the cafe I noticed some pretty pink wild flowers.

Before heading home we called at the cafe, a perfectly situated  location which faces the parks new paths and trees one way, and at the other side faces the river. I bought two ice cream Cornetos and we ate them in the car,  they were the perfect ending to our afternoon's outing.

SPRING BIRDS, SQUIRREL, and FLOWERS.

I would just like to say a big thank you to all who left your warm heart felt condolences. It was so moving to read your comments and know that my dear blog friends are every bit as important and precious to me as my ever decreasing college friends are. You are are all valued for your kindness and your passions that you share by blogging and I am glad to have made the decision to return to blogging as each one of you has helped me feel better.

The Spring weather has been temperamental to say the least. In one day  sun can shine for a while, even blue skies can be seen with not a cloud in sight, followed by sheets of rain, hailstones, thunder and lightening with foreboding dark clouds.  One day I could not close the car door as high velocity wind prevented me from doing so.  Spring  has sprung, buds and flowers emerge, some are damaged by the heavy rainfall, especially some  Azaleas as they wilt and fall to the ground, however the rain has encouraged new growth and I have noticed that the grass is greening up and new buds and leaves are appearing on the trees. Jays and Will are frequent visitors.