Birds Moult

Birds have started their summer moult. I particularly notice it with pigeons; as they fly over the garden their flight feathers fall to the earth, spiraling down like sycamore keys.

Red Dog Fox

I was surprised to see one of the foxes, a beautiful rich red dog fox, walking slowly and majestically through the garden this afternoon. He looked magnificent, not at all like a wild animal. His fur was thick and lustrous and he looked very well nourished. He looked more like a well fed pet than a scavenger.

On the Way to Reading

On the way to Reading again. The verges still have daisies and dandelions on them, but these have been joined by oxford ragwort, field buttercups with long stems and cheerful poppies bright and red, and standing out against the yellow, green and white.

Roadside hedgerows are high with overgrown bushes and trees in full leaf. Between the trees we catch a glimpse of the English countryside beyond: a patchwork of green fields with the odd yellow one, each neatly edged with hedges in different shades of green.

It is an overcast day with overlapping layers of cloud from white to the darkest grey.

Roadside verges are being cut, and I wonder how necessary this really is. The cost must be very high as lanes have been coned off by teams of men in vehicles before any cutting takes place, and then all the cones have to be removed again afterward. I much prefer edgings of wildflowers to neat lawn-like edges.

Joining the M25, I was delighted to see a large patch of pink campion, and shortly after, long swathes of English bluebells dark blue and bowing their fragrant heads – absolutely wonderful and what a great idea to plant them there. I just hope nobody decides to trim these verges while they are in bloom.

Here and there we see a blackbird, beak full and still trying to pack more in to fill the young gapes waiting in the nests. Three crows loitered by the roadside – I could not see any road kill, perhaps they were just hopeful.

Bright yellow laburnum and delicate pink and white apple blossom can be seen from time to time. I suppose the laburnum has grown from seeds dropped by birds and apple trees have sprung from discarded apple cores.

The hawthorns are covered in blossom and seem to be the predominant tree in the hedgerows. Interestingly, they are all white so far, not a single pink one yet. I’m glad to see so many – they are home to many insects, and in the autumn and winter laden with haws providing a welcome larder for both birds and mammals. Another name for haws is bread and cheese; when I was a child and sent to fetch the shopping after school , I was often hungry and ate haws from trees along the way, eating them like apples and discarding the centre. They were not very filling, but were always welcome.

We saw one beautiful pink ornamental tree laden with flowers, and on the M4, we passed a stretch of rhododendron bushes that were huge and covered with flowers in shades of mauve, pink and red – wonderful. Further along, we saw two fields of white horses. We always look out for them because they are an unusual, but much enjoyed sight. Spring must be wonderful for these creatures with all the fresh green growth. For us, it is more challenging, because with all that new growth it can be harder to see what creatures are in the fields behind.

Interestingly, we only saw one pigeon and it was dead by a roadside in Hertfordshire.

Magpies are More than Scavengers

There has been so much I could have written about, but one thing stands out above all others because it was so unexpected. It was around 8.45p.m. when our attention was drawn to the garden through the kitchen window, by the sound of blackbirds in distress. I have already written about the siting of the magpie nest and the grandstand view of the garden, and the wildlife therein from their lofty lookout, but I haven't yet told of how bullying the magpies have become. They spend a great deal of each day chasing and harrying the larger garden birds; blackbirds, jays, crows and pigeons -- for some reason they show no interest in the smaller birds, although I have seen them chasing the squirrel many times.

The blackbirds are the worst affected and hardly have a minute's peace, the magpies swoop on them constantly, chasing them, twisting and turning, this way and that and always the poor blackbirds are giving distress calls as they try to dodge their aggressor. This evening it was clear the magpies were at it again, then the unbelievable happened, as we watched, one of the two magpies chasing the blackbirds suddenly caught the female in mid-air, and brought it down to earth, while the other magpie fended off the male blackbird. The grounded blackbird was being held down and attacked by the magpie, it was very distressed and its cries coupled with those of its mate rent the air, causing other blackbirds to gather in the garden. Despite the magpies being mobbed by the gathering blackbirds they held their own, one magpie managed to keep all the blackbirds at bay, while the other one continued to attack its helpless victim.

All of a sudden it was over, the captured blackbird ceased to struggle or call, the other blackbirds flew off and the aerial magpie flew to a lower bough of the cherry tree. Within 10 seconds the attacking magpie ceased and flew off followed by its mate, leaving the dead blackbird laying on the lawn. The only comfort I can feel is in the fact that the blackbird will be nourishment for the fox. Small comfort though.
I have read that magpies only eat carrion (dead meat) this I refute. I have watched magpies attack and kill an almost fully grown rat, many small ducklings and now the blackbird. The rat was attacked until it had no fight left in it and was then carried off, the ducklings and blackbird were different, they were not carried off and appeared wanton, callous killings.

Next morning I still found it difficult to believe that I had witnessed two magpies hunt and bring down a female blackbird -- and worst of all kill and leave it there. They clearly were not driven by hunger, so what was the purpose, could it just have been the fun of the chase?

This morning the dead blackbird had disappeared, carried off no doubt by the fox. From the above incidents witnessed with my own eyes, I know for certain that magpies hunt and kill their prey, but is it sometimes for pleasure?

The male blackbird successfully reared the young, I watch them every day and so far they have not been bothered once by the magpies.

Trip to Grantchester

We are traveling along a new stretch of the A10 on the way to Grantchester. This is a particularly lovely stretch as for miles one drives through thousands of cowslips. Cowslips and primroses have always been favorites of mine – as a child I was sent out to collect armfuls of them.

I love these sun-drenched evenings when the sun catches the treetops making them glow golden, while at ground level verges, banks and bushes are in shadow because the sun is so low in the sky.

As you drive through the village of Buckland, there is a cram coloured house with a very eye-catching shrub growing up the side of it.

So many road kills alongside the A10, including foxes, pheasants and badgers.

We saw many rabbits along the verges and in one spot two chasing each other up and down a bank.

Our lovely afternoon in Grantchester included seeing, for the first time, Grantchester Meadows. They are beautiful, bordered on one side by a flat, easily walkable footpath, and on the other by the river Cam, with its clean and relatively fast-flowing water and wonderful reflections of the trees edging it. One or two of the meadows were home to beautiful cattle that resembled Devon Reds. WE had to pass between them. Normally, I am suspicious and untrusting of cattle, but these were so docile. I saw many people walk past them, and noted how even when dogs were near the cattle took no notice. When my turn came I walked through easily and even stopped to take some photographs.

En Route to Chelmsford

We are driving along the winding roads to Chelmsford for my dental appointment. We pass by olive coloured oak trees, weeping willows and apple trees bursting with blossom. We move through banks of yellow cowslips and even yellower fields of rape. There are high hedges and higher trees, roadside edges yellow with buttercups and dandelion, white with dead nettles and plants of the umbellifers family. Here are there are clumps of pink campion. Horse chestnuts proudly holding their flower spikes aloft like candles on a birthday cake. Have you ever looked closely at one of those flowers? They are exquisite.

Reaching the suburbs, ornamental trees and shrubs abound, as do: lilacs, berberis, chrysanthemums, laburnum, copper beech, red robin, the floriferous montana, clematis and flowering cherries.

Spring is Really Here

Down by the river, the brambles are growing thickly and prickly. Knee-high stinging nettles on either side of the path lean in to “kiss” you with their wickedly toxic tips. Through the woods, sturdy bluebells grow strongly between the delicate-leaved and pretty, lacy flowers of the umbellifers family, including cowslips. They make such a pretty combination with the bluebells.


Spring really is here at last, despite the coldness of some days. On the river, the brown and yellow fluffy balls of ducklings are floating alongside their mother. Everywhere is prettied by wildflowers and fresh new green growth. A huge carpet of ransoms caresses the woodland floor near to where snowdrops and aconites covered it a few short weeks ago. Along the verges, pink campion, blue water forget-me-nots, jack by the hedge – where the orange tip butterflies lay their eggs and white dead nettles grow. You can pull off one of the white flowers and suck the nectar from the end. It is surprisingly sweet, unless the ants and bees have beaten you to it. Elderflowers are now breaking bud. The may blossom lies thickly gracing the top of the hawthorn branches and is reminiscent of the freshly fallen snow of just a few months ago.

May Happenings

Last year, across one side of the pond we placed silver birch branches, firstly, as an aid to wildlife drinking and bathing and secondly because I had read it keeps the water fresher. On looking in the pond today for tadpoles, I saw the carefully piled branches and logs now scattered all over the pond, due no doubt to over-amorous ducks.

Yesterday a heron was standing beside the pond, but no sooner had he been spotted than he was off. Today, as I stood there I watched a spider on a log now floating in the middle of the pond. Just as I was thinking I ought to rescue him, he leapt off, and ran across the water to another log, then back on to the water and back to the first log. It was fascinating to see the tiny indentations his feet made in the meniscus of the water – just denting, but never breaking the surface tension.

We have a dandelion and daisy spangled lawn, and our greatest pleasure is watching the beautiful yellow, black and white goldfinches with their red faces. They are such a stunning looking bird and they love the dandelion seeds, as do the mallards.

The female duck comes to feed sometime acting extremely stressed. I guess she has been hassled by the stray male mallards. If we are in the garden when they fly over, she will quickly hurry toward us for protection, and if are in the lounge she will sit on the top step huddles against the patio door occasionally tapping the glass with her beak and turning her head slightly to one side, watching us. If she needs feeding she does not settle and her tapping becomes much more insistent. The quick moving squirrel really annoys her, and she only has to see him to stretch out her neck, point her beak in his direction, and hiss.

The roses are now in bud. The lilacs, berberis and apple blossom are all out. It is a good time to look out for shield bugs – they are about now, and so varied.

Magnolias and Rhododendrons

The magnolias and rhododendrons have been magnificent this year. The first to bloom was the M. Stellata Alba. Even in the dark of evening the flowers seem to shine out and look outstanding when picked out by moonlight. This was quickly followed by M. Leonard Messel, another stellata, with an obviously star-shaped flower again, but in a beautiful mid-pink as they opened, fading to almost white, which made the tree very attractive as flowers of varying shades of pink covered it. While these two were still in bloom, M. Susan flowered, larger with a deep maroon on the outside of the petals and a much paler inside, All three were outclassed when M. Soulangeana was soon in full bloom. Despite being heavily pruned from time to time, this tree never disappoints. It is breathtaking and has thousands of cup-shaped pink flowers, with every petal fading from deep, deep pink at the base to pale pink at the tip. Last, but definitely not least, is M. Ricki. It looks like a M.Stellata, but like M. Susan has much larger flowers. M. Ricki is a very attractive magnolia, each petal shading from a reddish-purple at the base to palest pink at the tip.

Of Blue Tits and Oak Leaves

There is much going on in the garden at present. For the last two days we have had a kestrel swooping down on our little feathered friends. I know the kestrel needs to eat, but I will be glad when it moves on. Yesterday I spent a worrying few hours, when I thought the kestrel had taken the tit parents. I was so relieved when I spotted the pair; beaks full, entering their little home one after the other.

I have been worried about the blue tits finding enough food for their young as they chiefly feed on the caterpillars found on the oak leaves. Apparently the timing of blue tit young are tied to the appearance of oak leaves, but this year the hatchlings came slightly before the oak leaves, however the diligent parents managed to find tiny green caterpillars on all sorts of bushes and trees in the garden, and I also saw them taking beaks full of insects back to the nest. So, no doubt, the young are feeding and growing. As for the parents, they are gorging themselves on sunflower seeds, ground up peanuts and suet.

I have noticed the new leaves on the oak trees. They are just unfurling and are an olive green, very soft, and delicately shiny. Amongst them are clusters of flowers hanging mossy yellow, green and brown in colour.

Pigeon Problems

The pigeons are having a really bad time. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about their new nest. Within a week I found that nest deserted and three broken eggs on the bank – probably squirrels again. Not daunted by their run of bad luck, No Tail and his female partner are busy building a third nest on top of the last one. Within a short time I found another two eggs broken on the bank. They have left the mahonia now and although they are building again it is higher up. I wish them the best of luck – they have tried so hard for so long.