First the good news. Just before I finalised this post, I
put all the clocks on by one hour. So that’s one less hour in the 12 weeks that
we must isolate!!(or .00095%) Now how else can I speed things up…sleeping
tablet?
Searching desperately for something to write about, I am going
to see if Ornithological events in my garden make interesting reading. So here
starteth my diary.
Monday 23rd March.
How
super to step out into the garden mid-morning, look up (as I always do) to see
a perfectly feathered Common Buzzard circling gracefully and lazily over the
house. As I watched, another joined in the display and as I stood mesmerised
they progressively circled and climbed with the occasional mock dive by one
against the other. Still they climbed to what I think must be about the height
of aircraft taking off from East Midlands airport. And then a third bird joined in. So
graceful, it should have been set to music but still they climbed until they
were out of view
For the last 2/3 weeks a male blackbird is regularly seen
on the first post on the fence directly behind the house. So, the house becomes
a hide, and from my study I can watch him posing on the fence. Yesterday it was
post 1, and also on the roof at 4pm. Today c 2.30 on post 1. What does he want? A mate? Or is he looking
after a mate on a nest? Maybe time will tell.
Dunnocks? I can hear them call whilst I am weeding the
border, but the usual chasing (displaying) not in evidence today. Woodpigeons
seem to be ignoring the Social distancing rules and formation flying around the
roofs.
Tuesday 24th March.
Clearly
the avian residents of Braithwell Close have been listening to Boris, I assume
on Twitter, as they have this morning been self-isolating. It was not until this afternoon, when Mary
was once again gardening/weeding and thus churning up worms, that our resident
Blackbird was back on post 3 and watching the action.
There must have been some action on the feeder, as Will
our resident Woodpigeon(s) has been hoovering up the seed that the Tits and the
Dunnocks throw out and for that we are very grateful as the number of weeds
around the base of the feeder are and continues to be Nil.
Wednesday 25th March
Having spent the afternoon power-cleaning the patio (and the
bird bath), it was wonderful to watch a robin giving it large in the nice clean
water in the cleaned birdbath. The splashing does not go as far up the fence as
the blackbird achieves, but it is equally vociferous! Then he settled in the
hydrangea and completed his ablutions.
But better was to come. Contrary to the social distancing
rules there were 3 birds in the bath at the same time, 2 Dunnocks and 1 Blue
Tit!!! This intense competition kept
changing, sometimes 2 Dunnocks watched by a Blue Tit, then 2 Tits together.
There has been limited activity in one of the 4 nest
boxes, but not so frequent that I could assume nesting was in progress.
Tomorrow my monitoring will continue to be fruitful, I hope!
Thursday 26th March
Now I’m puzzled – despite topping up the birdbath with
more clean water, my avian family appear to have gone out for the day. There
was a short bout of encouragement when one Blue Tit did a Social distance
inspection of the better bird box. This one (the box) came from a charity shop
in Honiton in 2018 and cost just £10. It is VERY substantial and sturdy and of
the 4 boxes in our garden this one has the most potential buyers making an
inspection.
I had planned to collect some sheep wool from barbed wire
and bushes in the countryside. I would as I have done in the past, place the
wool in a net bag adjacent to a nest box and birds would take the wool to line
their nest boxes. But as my movements
are restricted, Mary has offered to save the hair when she (long overdue) cuts
my hair!
Friday 27th March
Whilst we watched the in and out activity in the Tit box
during coffee, we decided that we knew some of our regulars so well that it
would be impolite not to speak about them by name, and we have now given them
names which we hope they will respond to in time.
The male blackbird is Rodney, and the female is Cassandra
(referred to as Cass). With the Blue Tits as it is difficult to id male and
female we have chosen Leslie, a name
that sounds right for either sex, albeit spelt differently.(for simplicity and
to avoid confusion, k/a Les)
We’ve been a bit busy near the nest boxes, so this may
account for the poor attendance today.
Saturday 28th March
Only seen Dave briefly, but Les has been in and out of
the box. Oh, and Duncan (you can guess who this is) is happily devouring the
seed supply and Will ( = William or Willamena) tidies up!
A 4-way family video chat to celebrate our 56th
wedding anniversary, has been the highlight of another day confined to
barracks!
Just to recap on the avian residents, this is the current
cast ..
Rodney and Casandra Blackbird
Duncan Dunnock
Leslie Blue
Tit
Will Wood
Pigeon
Robin Robin
!!
I hope you are getting in some birding, one way or
another.
TTFN
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