Cyn's Nature Notes: Lucky Squirrel

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Lucky Squirrel

Snow. The daytime high today is zero degrees.

We are on our way to Papworth for my scan.

A few miles before Buntingford I spotted a sparrowhawk sitting hunched on a fence post. I suppose with all the snow times are hard for him.

We are traveling on the A10 and we are two miles short of Royston. We pass a red kite hovering at head height over the roadside verge.

Entering Cambridgeshire we pass a large field with a light covering of snow. I was delighted to see a flock of green plovers, also known as lapwings, and as they petered out so a flock of sheep came into view. They were clustered mainly along our side of the field where the green grass showed -- the rest of the field was snow covered and only a few intrepid sheep had braved this area.

The snow in wooded areas, especially where the ground is banked, is reminiscent of swathes of springtime snowdrops, as the snow covering is minimally broken by twigs or leaves showing above.

Passing Cambourne and Caxton we encountered a squirrel crossing the road. Panicking, he ran to and fro on the road. We were too close to dodge him, and my heart was in my mouth as we drove forward, but at the last moment he lay still in the road and we passed right over him, and he lived to see another day.

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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.