It’s that time of year admittedly, but this year there appear to be so many more birds in the garden.

The sunflower seed feeder is crammed with lovely yellow Siskins, some patiently waiting their turn on the power cable above the feeder, others, frantically trying to get a dropped morsel before someone else snaffles it. Lots of our visitors have never seen a Siskin, so they are a great delight to them.

On the peanut feeder – and giving the red Acer a good pecking – are the Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, with Mum and Dad often helping the youngster(s) to a nut or two. Terrible photo, but I was sitting at the kitchen table on a Zoom meeting when I saw them, so very snatched and no second chance as they realised I was there and scarpered!

Round the back of the house, the Pied Wagtails are nesting and the parents are always to be seen wagging about the lawn looking for morsels. They enjoy posing on the sundial and seem little concerned about us humans wandering past.

This morning we just saw two of their youngsters sitting on the bridge. Not yet the distinct black and white of the adults, they are already displaying the waggy tail that gives them their name. Here, one is demanding breakfast.

Meanwhile, down by the salmon leap, the heron flies in during a spot of fishing.

And finally, to paraphrase a well-known BBC comment: “Other species are also available!”