Through the Window

Sitting looking out of the dining room window at the birds on the nut cages I suddenly noticed a small dark shape dash out from behind the plant pots around the table with the owl sculpture snatch a few nut crumbs, dropped by the birds, and dash back again. This happened time and time again, but each time the Shrew, because that's what it was, took longer and longer to enjoy his bonanza. He was having a great time. Such a great time that he put his early warning system on hold and failed to notice Little Wol (Little Owl) sitting on a branch directly above one of the nut cages. Even when Little Wol dropped like a stone Shrew failed to take notice of the sudden downward pressure of air on his back, usually the last warning, and POW! exit one greedy Shrew and Little Wol got his lunch.

For the last couple of weeks Woody Snr. (the Greater Spotted Woodpecker) has been feeding from the nut cages and feeding Woody Jnr. Who sits, not always patiently, on the wing of the owl sculpture below the cages.

Now Woody Jnr. Has graduated to feeding himself, though not quite with the same experience as his dad. Woody Jnr, prefers to hang upside down on the bottom of the wire cage pecking the old nuts that have partially decayed with rain and age.

Yesterday his parent joined him on the cage and rather disdainfully demonstrated how easy it was to remove whole fresh nuts from a gap in the top of the cage. Woody Jnr. watched open beaked and when father flew off, still with a whole nut in his beak, Woody Jnr. set off in hot pursuit, piping away loudly in that squeaky sort of treble. One can quite easily imagine what he was saying:

"Dad…dad…dad…how d'y do that, dad?…dad…dad…how d'y do that…dad…dad…"

Sydney, the Robin, and his mate have made a nest in the ivy right in the apex of the porch. I was sitting on the lawn when I saw Sydney depart on, presumably, a foraging trip. No sooner had he departed than another Robin, obviously intent on a takeover, entered the ivy in the vicinity of Sydney's nest. Sydney's mate took exception to this and a furious row broke out behind the ivy with heavy fluttering and many squawks. She fought like a tiger and beat him out of the ivy and down to the ground where he realized that he had made a terrible mistake and beat a hasty retreat. With a little angry feather ruffling she returned to the nest.

Some time later, all unsuspecting, Sydney returned and had hardly entered the ivy when she started in on him, telling him in no uncertain terms, judging by the clacking and chirping, just what had happened and why wasn't he there when she needed him. This went on for at least three minutes before Sydney reappeared and perched on a piece of ivy with his mate still noisily expressing herself behind him. I have never before or since seen a Robin with such an abject and head hung expression. One can only imagine what he was thinking, 'Oh, for God's sake woman, shut up!'