Cyn's Nature Notes: Barney

Thursday 10 March 2011

Barney

Visited relatives in Reading today who are also great friends. They have an excellent feeding station very close to the house and bird watching there is a great joy. They have all of the usual birds plus great spotted woodpeckers, pied wagtails and a pair of black caps. The garden is very long and at dusk and dawn they are visited by foxes, who at present have cubs.

They have a little dog a Westie (West Highland White), he is a cute little fellow and causes much merriment with his antics. He is an excellent companion and house dog but the thing I like best about Barney is the way he stands at the back door watching the garden, and immediately a pigeon or squirrel appears he demands to be let out. As soon as the door is opened he is off faster than the wind tearing across the patio, down the steps and across the lawn and beware any pigeons and squirrels, he doesn't ever catch them, but the fun for Barney is in the chase.

Amazingly, the birds take no notice of him and just continue feeding.

P.S. The foxes at night, of course, unsettle Barney.

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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.