Cyn's Nature Notes: Misty Mornings and Birds

Thursday 1 October 2009

Misty Mornings and Birds

From my kitchen window I can see a cotoneaster its boughs heavily laden with berries, shiningly colorful, and brightly glistening in the rain, good autumn food for birds. Across the lawn a robin and a blue tit vie for the last apple hanging from the tree, and a malus is filled with a flock of pigeons, whereas other years it has been the territory of blackbirds, thrushes, redwing and fieldfare, sadly this year we haven't seen even one redwing or fieldfare.

Hanging from a lower bough is an overwintering insect box, I hung it with a happy smile in the summer, thinking of how it would provide protection for hibernating insects. Interestingly it has proved very successful as a feeding station, especially for the great tits who are delighted with the easy pickings it provides.

Misty mornings now, and drifts of mist hang low over the fields that border the river, the tiny misty droplets highlighting and jewel bedecking the myriad cobwebs, draped over or hanging from bushes and plants. Watch out for an influx of spiders indoors, sheltering from the coming cold winter. Now is a good time to go fungi foraging, there are many and varied types to be found, all shapes and sizes, I once found a navy blue one growing under a yew tree.

Today through the lounge window I watched a heron take off, flying low over the lawn and upward through the branches of our trees. I have very mixed feelings about herons because they empty the pond, but I do love to watch them and I am always awestruck when I see them in flight. Today he didn't fly very far, just across the paddock and into the field where he spent the afternoon silently stalking by the river's edge.

Later on I saw a tiny restless goldcrest who spent several minutes flying repeatedly between a bird bath and a conifer. At just 3.5 inches long the goldcrest is Britain's smallest bird and is a joy to see with its vivid bright yellow streak along the top of its head.

Now is a good time to clear out and clean nesting boxes and before replacing them put in a handful of dried leaves to help out overwintering creatures.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.