Whilst waiting to see whether the Great Crested Grebe were going to perform any more, I watched a pair of Chaffinches feeding on the path. This male in resplendent full spring plumage came fairly close.
The downloaded photo showed that the poor bird had a fat Tic on it's neck that I hadn't noticed before. I did a bit of research, and apparently the tic will fall off once it has had it's fill of blood, without harming the bird. Tics are much more common around the head on birds where they can't be dealt with by the bird's bill. Not 100% sure about this information, especially about not causing harm to the bird, as I suspect there is a risk of infection. Lets hope it doesn't drop off in the nest and attach itself to one of the pair or a chick once it is ready for another parasitic meal.
Finally I also noticed a bird ring on it's foot. Is there any way one can report the ring even though the whole number may not be visible? Tring Ringers do not appear to have a website if it is indeed a local bird.
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