Cyn's Nature Notes: Evening Visitors

Monday 18 April 2011

Evening Visitors

It has been a glorious day and now at 20:10 pm it is still quite mild outside. The fox food is out on the lawn and as I sit by the patio window waiting for him, I am slightly alarmed to see the pheasant, he has turned up for a late supper. Do I feed him, ignore him or shoo him away? Shooing him away won't work, because he won't go, he'll just keep coming back to the window where I'm sitting. Ignoring him won't be any better, as he will just stay where he is and keep flapping his wings at me and calling at the top of his voice. So I decide to quickly feed him. I stand up and as I do so, he knows and we both rush to the kitchen window. Me to throw supper to his eager beak already uplifted and waiting, and him to look so pretty while he pecks it all up. It is as though he knows it is late and he shouldn't be here, he is very nervy and jumpy, constant little movements of his wings and while he pecks he hurries and keeps looking about him.

I watch for the fox, although it is very questionable what I could do from this position. I also keep an ear open to hear the bird song, I will know if the fox is near as the song is replaced by distress calls, this also happens if an owl is nearby.

I notice a blackbird hungrily tucking into the fox food, the pheasant is still eating, as is the blackbird. At last the pheasant has finished, he wanders easily off down the garden, thank goodness the fox comes from the opposite direction. The pheasant moves slowly as if he hasn't a care in the world, which I guess is true as long as he doesn't meet up with Mr. Fox.

It is now 21:35 pm and the blackbird is still eating the fox food, I can see him by the shine of the outside light. I hope by now that the pheasant is safely squatting on one of the high branches, well out of the reach of the fox. Above the lawn bats are flying round and round, just above head height, both large ones and small, I am not familiar with bats so sadly am unable to identify them.

I leave the window for a while and of course this is the very time the fox chooses to come!!

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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.