Food for thought!!

Monday 27^th June,  and a forthcoming 7 days when I know that there will be little to see from my lounge window as I continue my recovery from my op. We don’t have the sort of garden that should be on Springwatch, or even feature in the Big Garden Birdwatch. But some patience has been known to throw up the odd bit of avian entertainment.

This week, for a start, a pair of Wrens was obviously voraciously collecting food for their youngsters, judging by how many times they vanished in a large green bush in the corner of the garden. The pair of Blackbirds was doing much the same, interspersed by the male lying on the ground with both wings outstretched. I always fear whether the cat will catch it napping.

Our Robin (does every garden have one?) is in and out non-stop, and I was pleased (and so was he) that I’d at least mustered enough energy to clean the bird bath. (Saw an identical birdbath on Bargain Hunt the other week – went for £10!). The birds I do enjoy are the juvenile Magpies, always active and judging by how they bounce when they land, they must have well sprung legs.  The Magpies and the Blackbirds like all this rain, because it means that my gutters are wet and the seeds and weeds in the mud are good sources for food. Mary does object to them throwing out the tasteless bit, but I reckon it saves me having to get the 20ft ladder out.

Several times, a pair of Swifts has been spotted well up in the sky, the scimitar shape being unlike any other British Bird. But the best day was Wednesday, when I looked up just as a female Sparrowhawk swooped low across the lawn from right to left, and up to perch on the 8ft high fence. Long enough to see the tail rings, then she dropped forwarded looking for her next meal.

I missed my Beginners Walk on Sunday 3^rd July, but Keith, Amanda and Gary coped as always with 19 people, including 3 newbies, and the report was that of the 32 species seen, the bird of the day was a Great Crested Grebe. Not a rarity by any means, but this one had a chick sitting on its back. So the “Wow” factor decided the BOD.

This prompts me to tell you some more stories from birders who have enjoyed a WoW moment.

My daughter Sarah remembers the occasion in 1998 pre-DWT when we were in the Drakelow nature reserve, and saw a Green Woodpecker on the path some way in front. As we froze to watch, a parent came down and passed food to the juvenile.

Likewise on the West coast of Pembrokeshire in 2007, Mary was admiring a “large blackbird with a bright red bill”, in other words, a Chough, when again a parent landed by the juvenile and fed it some food.

Interestingly, Wales whilst wanting to claim the Euro 2016 crown, does claim that the Chough is the bird of Wales. Not wrong, but the Cornwall coat of arms is based on a Chough, so thats the start of a debate.

I have 2 feeding memories. In Rufford Park in Notts, on a snow bound day, bird food on my palm enticed one robin to land on my finger tips, and one on my cuff. Then another Robin violently flew in and replaced the bird on my cuff.   The other time was at Mudeford Quay in Dorset when a birding colleague was squeezing a bit of bread between two fingers, when a Starling perched on his knuckle, and proceeded to probe frantically to get some bread.....and it did!

On reflection, this whole article revolves round, and emphasises how important food (and water) is for our avian friends......just as much as it is for us!

Keep feeding.