A nuthatch has been visiting the fatball feeder recently such a medley of beautiful colours but I cannot capture it on camera, so here is one from a Welsh site...
Sometimes when I look at the exquisite digital photography that brings up every detail I wonder if we need artists to capture such things - heresy! What I do see though is a complete natural phenomenona, a perfect blend of colour, shape and size. Something crafted for its environment in a trembling delicate feathered way.
Even now, early morning, I can hear the jackdaws chattering away, sorting nesting places, a couple will nest in the small round holes of the church, others in the old holes of the large tree that graces the churchyard. The sparrows are already looking at the nests of the swallows under the church roof eaves. Lazy creatures, as we look forward to the swallow's return.
The domestic fowl also greet early morning, we have geese, ducks and hens in Nelson's patch and Nigel 's old hens are still running around along with his 'escapee' duck.
The collared doves always fly down in the morning for seed, as of course the large lazy wood pigeons who lurk ever intent on free food. In the copse, crows caw noisily, sex is happening, nests are being refurbished.
Blackbirds have returned, the robin still gets stuck in the bantam's run and the natural world settles down.
Some one I have forgotten, Jack the jackdaw still hobbles around the place using his broken wing as a crutch. Steely determination has given him life these few months and I try to throw food wherever he is, the strange thing is that he is often outside the hen's run, probably he would be safer inside. But then who wants to live with mad Lady Jane the bantam?
It is always sad to see an injured bird such as Jack isn't it? I suppose his eventual fate is inevitable, but I do hope he gets some sort of pleasure from his life - indeed if birds can feel pleasure.
ReplyDeleteWell as Paul said he knows no difference, and is able to fend for himself, only coming out when the other jackdaws have gone, he can scrabble up a bush as well.
DeleteNature is so hard but I'd also do what I could to help an injured animal. He wants to live.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, the trouble is anything injured will normally get killed by its own kind, or round here the sparrow hawk, who often visits but as you say he wants to live.
DeleteWe have a nuthatch come to our feeder. I love their peach and dove grey plumage.
ReplyDeleteArilx
They are very delicately coloured, first time I have seen one up close Aril.
ReplyDeleteThe shape of the nuthatch is remarkable. His/her beak and tail end are perfectly aligned. On the question of noisy cawing and sexual activity I shall say nothing.
ReplyDeleteWell evolution is a wonderful thing, and the crows are definitely sorting their nest and mates....
DeleteIt seems many of us live our lives through those of our native birds. They give us rhythm and pattern to our days.
ReplyDeleteThere is a 6th century tale about the cuckoo (fast disappearing in this country), who would make it back to the church of St.Brynach in April from Africa. One year the poor bird arrived at the church and then dropped down dead through exhaustion, so that they could not have mass. Nature's calender of events through the year...
ReplyDeletehttps://northstoke.blogspot.com/2009/07/st-brynach.html