Five minutes or so after the redwings had retreated to the refuge of the trees (see yesterday’s post), two or three of the boldest decided it was safe enough to come back down and resume the search for food.
Growing in mortar on garden wall
This little plant was an inch or so high. It was growing from the mortar between two of the stones on the top of a front garden wall.
Redwings on branches, Bantock Park
Redwings in Bantock Park. They had taken refuge in trees when a man with a dog came a little too close to where they were feeding on the ground (see yesterday’s mistle thrush post).
When they had been on the ground, it was really obvious that the mistle thrush was a lot bigger than the redwings. his size contrast was magnified when they had flown onto branches: the redwings were it trees farther from where I was standing. They were also closely surrounded by a maze of twigs, harder to spot than the bigger bird which was against a background of the open sky.
Lone crocus, not quite open
Isolated among the litter of the leaves which fell last autumn, a lone crocus with a flower just on the point of opening.
Mistle thrush on branch: Bantock Park
As we went through the entrance to Bantock Park, there was a mistle thrush on the ground, looking for things to eat in the short grass. nearby, a handful of redwings were doing the same.
As I was getting my camera out, someone walking his dog came towards them. The birds retreated to the safety of nearby trees.
The mistle thrush stayed on the branch, watchful and occasionally preening.
After it flowered: yucca, West Park
Yuccas in parks and front gardens across Wolverhampton flowered around the turn of the year, I think for the second time. This is what was left after the flowers had shrivelled on one of the plants in West Park.





