A Bit of Extra Colour in a Fall Garden : A Goldcrest Drops by on His Way South

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A little luck had me looking out the window just in time to see this little yellow crested bird out in the tree. Even more luck had my camera, already fitted with the telephoto lens, right there on the table beside me.

This is a Goldcrest, also known as a Kinglet, presumably because he wears a little golden crown. His queen also wears a similar crown but the touch of orange at the back of his indicates that he’s a he and not a she.

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He didn’t stay long at all, on his way back south after summering north of the city. What a tiny treat to behold. In this case, you can really say that it’s the small things in life that make it good.

Here he is flying away …

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And here’s a look at what my favourite room looks like at this time of the year. In the next couple of weeks the furniture will be put under tarps. The herbs are still going strong and can stay outside until there is word of the first frost.

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Then the terracotta pots will be emptied out and put under plastic too (because they will crack otherwise, as any water in the soil expands as it freezes). I will try planting some of the things (the daisy, lavender and thyme) into the garden to see if they’ll survive the winter and some plants will be brought inside. The rest will be put on the compost pile, feeling satisfied knowing they performed a job well done.

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Thanks for taking a look,
xo loulou

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