I am on a mission in my back garden, not with the Horse Chestnut this time, but against the Sparrowhawk who I feel permanently lives in the Rectory garden. He is of course a stunning bird, with his yellow stockinged feet and subtly marked feathers. He commands a presence, but torments our poor garden birds. Edwin can vouch, he has had a few calls with me when I have to dash into the garden to frighten my elegant friend off the territory, at least for a while.
When we moved in just over three years ago now, we had no garden birds at all and living previously in a clearing in the woods, do love the presence of birds and some of the woodland creatures. We have worked hard to get some bird life into the garden and to keep them fed and safe, but our wily bird friend just sees them all as rich pickings. He either just rips the heads off the birds and leaves them dead on the grass or indeed demolished them in such a few seconds, watching us watching him from the windows. Even our dogs do not frighten him off, nor the large variety of neighbourhood cats - he rules supremely!
But I have grown to strongly dislike the creature of beauty and hate the stillness and "deadness" he brings to the garden. He certainly rules in this Rectory garden!
I know so many of you love watching the garden birds, either in your garden or indeed your balcony, or even on your walks. During lockdown we enjoyed hearing the birdsong more clearly due to less traffic and loved the hooting of owls, cooing of doves and the majesty of the drumming woodpeckers. But how many of us are still looking and enjoying the birdsong and the antics of the birds? Have all the baby birds finished fledging now? I haven't yet seen the Swallows, Swifts and House Martins getting ready to leave for warmer climes. The blackbirds are wearing ruffled plumage as they recover from raising up to three clutches of eggs and are enjoying feasting on the array of berries about.
So we take another step into Autumn, I thought we could look afresh at our birdlife locally and a bit further afield - what are you noticing now? Do we have to create extra time as we are busy again? Are the birds still singing etc? I also thought you might enjoy a few birdie funnies as well; dip into a few of these, they are quite amusing!