Cyn's Nature Notes: Greedy Birds

Friday 15 June 2012

Greedy Birds

The evenings are growing lighter and staying so for longer, this means that when the fox food is put out, birds fly in to enjoy an evening feast or to collect food for their nestlings. First on the scene are always magpies, swooping in and swiftly grabbing food before flying off, pigeons next, always No-Tail and often with his mate, these are followed closely by robins and a blackbirds, collecting food for their young, sometimes a pair of chaffinches will also appear.

I have started putting out extra food, because the birds eat so much and now the foxes have cubs I feel they need more. Recently I bought dog biscuits and each evening put a handful out with their food these are quickly crunched up and seem to be a popular addition.

Tonight they had a special treat, as we bought a large tin of dog food a few days ago and this evening being short on cheese I decided to give it to them, not all at once you understand as the first one to arrive would simply gobble all of it. No, I decided to make sandwiches with it, the magpies and pigeons ate and appeared to notice no difference, the robins and blackbirds usually take the cheese from the sandwiches and this evening were clearly thrown as they went from piece to piece obviously looking for the cheese eventually each of them settled for bread, the foxes ate with their usual gusto and I still have enough left in the tin for tomorrow evening for them. I have decided to grate a little cheese and put that out for the robins and blackbirds tomorrow evening --- although whether they will be lucky enough to get it before the others, I don't know.

Yesterday we almost had a mishap, the two greedy pigeons - No-Tail and his partner flew down on to the lawn and started in their customary manner to eat as much as possible in as short a time as possible, suddenly No-Tails partner began acting strangely, she was moving very awkwardly, walking a few steps back and then a few steps forward, after a few seconds she started to walk round and round, but backwards, I realised she must have something stuck in her throat, pigeons are so greedy they swallow large pieces of food whole if they can, rushing around all the time in order to quickly get the next mouthful. She was still doing tight backward circles and I was ready to go and try to clear her airway if she keeled over - when suddenly a magpie swooped down next to her, startled she flapped her wings and took flight. I can report that this morning when I opened the kitchen window to feed the birds and squirrels there she was waiting for breakfast and no worse for her choking experience of the previous evening!

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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.