Watching the birdies!

I decided to do my Big Garden Birdwatch over the park and playing fields last Saturday afternoon when it was sunny and not too cold.

On my way I walked through the ecology park then both allotment sites, which were decidedly watery in places,

and was surprised at how few birds were to be seen…no parakeets, blue tits, or starlings and just a few magpies and pigeons.

Much of the park and playing fields were like wetlands with a sheen of water glistening in the sunshine. I spotted a robin in the shrubs by the entrance then some 50 seagulls scattered over a wide area of grass.

I squelched my way towards the trees lining the small stream. This is crow country and as I turned the corner there were about 30 on the ground. However looking up I saw at least another 50 in the trees

It was slightly unsettling and I was reminded of Alfred Hitchcock’s well known film The Birds!

I see that others,  including  Daffy,  NiC and Chippy ,  saw plenty of interest in their gardens.

Cha0tic commented on my Fox Newton post saying that I might like this site ,  which I do indeed. It’s stunning as I’m sure you’ll agree!

Have a good weekend!

Fox Newton

I was at the plot earlier this morning and turning round after putting some bird food in the shed I was astounded to see Fox Newton drinking from the pond!

Later on I was where Fox had been and looked round to see this!

This was as close as Fox got to me before turning round and wandering off down the roadway.

What a wonderful way to start the week, especially after yesterday when it rained all day.

Chatting and chitting

When I arrived at the hut last Sunday I was surprised at just how many people were there. It was like the crush at the January sales! I’d forgotten that the seed potatoes and onion sets had been delivered a day or two earlier.

One immediate concern was that access to the kettle was blocked  but thankfully the crowd thinned out before action was needed!

It was good to see plot neighbours  Graham and Trevor who I’ve not seen since before Christmas. There was plenty of chatting with other folks who were now looking forward to doing some proper allotmenteering.

I knew which potatoes the society was getting  and had decided on which varieties to try this year. I got 12 or so tubers each Swift (early),  Kestrel (second early), Desiree (maincrop) and Cara (late maincrop). In theory that means I should be harvesting potatoes from June through to September. At the moment they’re chitting away on egg boxes  in the spare room.

I also bought a handful each of  Sturon and Turbo onion sets. These will be planted out from around mid March.

There’s been a lot of rain here recently, with more to come, and the ground is waterlogged, and frozen some days, so it’s still rather bleak but a closer look on the plot yesterday found that some daffodils have just started to appear.

All very grand

This week I’ve watched the first two parts of  The Secret Life of Elephants and have been enthralled. These were grand wildlife programmes which never over dramatised or got to sentimental. Scenes of the elephants, including their joy and sadness, were filmed factually and that, along with the stunning vistas, has made for great viewing. Part 2 is being shown again on BBC1 Sunday at 6.00pm and the last part is on BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm.

Polar Bears and Grizzlies – Bears on top of the World is tomorrow’s Natural World on BBC2 at 8.00pm.  This looks like being another hour of grand television being full of intriguing details and glorious photography.  It is also a real story about climate change.

Next Wednesday on C4 at 9.00pm is the first of eight shows in a new series of Grand Designs. I’ve always enjoyed watching this programme, which thankfully continues to be presented by the affable Kevin McCloud.

The grandest occasion this week was on Tuesday with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of America.  I  hope that my American friends, and others, will start to see some positive changes in their lives in the not too distant future.

Have a grand weekend,  and if you’re here in the UK then please don’t forget the Big Garden Birdwatch!

Spot the birdie!

There’s nothing to write about on the plot today apart from the fact that during the week I was lucky enough to see and photograph one of the rather elusive dunnocks that I’ve mentioned previously, although you may have problems spotting it!

Next weekend is the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch and as well as  good weather I’m hoping to see a better selection of birds than I have in the past!  Perhaps I’ll even get to see something unusual!

Earlier this week this brilliant shot by NiC on his ever excellent London Daily Nature Photo blog made me laugh! There are plenty of other superb bird images  as well,  just click on browse when you’re there and have a look through the impressive archive.

Seeing  this magnificent eagle on the Natural Moments blog that I mentioned in Friday’s post reminded me of this wonderful poem.

The Dalliance of the Eagles by Walt Whitman, 1819 – 92, b. USA

Skirting the river road, (my forenoon walk, my rest),

Skyward in air a sudden muffled sound, the dalliance of the eagles,

The rushing amorous contact high in space together,

The clinching interlocking claws, a living, fierce, gyrating wheel,

Four beating wings, two beaks, a swirling mass tight grappling,

In tumbling turning, clustering loops, straight downward falling,

Till o’er the river pois’d, the twain yet one,  a moment’s lull,

A motionless still balance in the air, then parting, talons loosing,

Upward again on slow-firm pinions slanting, their seperate diverse flight,

She hers, he his, pursuing.

[This vividly descriptive poem was written in 1880 and is included in Whitman's famous work Leaves of Grass. His style was highly innovative and influential, and he is regarded as one of the greatest American poets.]

Here it is!

This is yesterday’s planned post which I unexpectedly put aside for the one that I did do.

I didn’t get to watch part one of The Secret Life of Elephants on Wednesday evening but I’ll catch up with on Sunday when it’s being shown again on BBC1 at 6.00pm, or on the BBC iPlayer.  Daffy tells me that it was brilliant but to have a tissue at the ready for a few tears of joy and sadness!

Tonight on BBC2 at 8.00pm is Natural World Mountains of the Monsoon which shows various animals, familiar and unusual, to be found in India’s Western Ghat  mountain ranges.

It’s always good when fellow bloggers mention, and link to, unfamiliar blogs.

Uphilldowndale linked to a superb one in her Blowing in the Wind entry. As you’ll see Natural Moments is a terrific site on bird and wildlife photography with some superb images.

Tina on her Happy Hobby Habit blog did an entry titled I Want That! I don’t blame her as it’s a wonderful Alaskan style  English Cottage Garden!

Have a good weekend!

One of the best…

I’ve read this morning over on Chippy’s blog that fellow blogger Beachhutman sadly died during Tuesday in a Beijing hospital.

This sudden news comes as a real shock as George had been a notable, and popular, blogger for many years.

He originally blogged on 20six and then moved  to Platform27. He stayed there when many of us moved yet again as he was able to continue blogging from China where he had worked, and partly lived,  for the past couple of years.

He was quite simply one of the best…

Reporting for duty

This morning was my first stint as one of the  helpers in the horticultural society’s hut. It was just for a couple of hours and,  not surprisingly,  there were few people there apart from the regulars.  One of the perks of the job is that I get a second cup of tea and another ginger nut to dunk in it!  It was an enjoyable morning and I look forward to reporting for duty again on 15th February, although I’ll be there on the intervening Sundays as usual for bird food.

The seed potatoes that are on order should be delivered during the week and I’ll go and help with off-loading them.  They’re Early Arran Pilot, Foremost and Swift; Second Early Charlotte, Kestral and Marfona; and Main Crop Cara, Desiree, King Edward, Majestic and Picasso.  I shall get one variety each Early and Second Early and two  Main Crop. I’m undecided which ones so I’ll be looking at sites such as the Potato Council.

Last week remained cold  so my brief visits to the plot were just to refill the bird feeders and icy pond. However on Wednesday I stopped to chat with John as he had a good bonfire burning

I arrived there on Thursday morning to be told by Joe and John that during the night thieves had smashed the lock then forced open the metal door to the concrete storage building and taken three of the  rotovators. They had  also broken into a number of the larger sheds but we’re unsure what, if anything, was taken from those.

On a happier note it’s the horticultural society’s 70th anniversary this  year and the annual show will be held, at the nearby sports and social club, on the first Saturday in September. Not only will I be going this year but have been persuaded to enter some of the classes as an exhibitor.  For novices only there’s  six of one variety of runner beans, a collection of one each kind of four different vegetables and one rose bloom. I may enter a few of the other classes as well!

I think that allotmenteers will now be keen to get working on their plots again. One of my first jobs will be to sort out my new compost bin now that I’ve got some suitable wood pallets, which I dropped off there on Friday.

Here’s hoping that this year is a good one for all gardeners!

Cuckoo and elephants

On BBC2 tomorrow at 8.00pm is the programme Natural World – Cuckoo narrated by David Attenborough. It looks to be a fascinating film about this bird which is  a cheat, thief and killer! It’s being repeated on BBC2 Sunday at 5.00pm.

That’s one bird that won’t be be seen over the weekend of the 24th/25th which is the date for this year’s RSPB 30th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch. I’ll mention this again a couple of days beforehand.

On BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm is the first of an interesting looking new three part series  The Secret Life of Elephants filmed at Kenya’s Sambura reserve and presented by Saba Douglas-Hamilton.  Save the Elephants is a site dedicated to securing a future for them and sustaining the beauty of the places where they live.

I’m sure that Daffy will  settle down to watch this as  elephants are her favourite wild animals. Mine is  Sammy’s big cousin the wonderful snow leopard. Do you have a favourite wild animal?

Have a good weekend!

Roll on summer!

Yesterday I walked to hut via the ecology park and the plot. It was well frosty but a close look at one of these on a nearby tree branch cheered me up!

It was good to chat with the folks who were there whilst drinking a cup of tea and dunking a couple of these. Next week will be my first stint as a hut helper which I’m looking forward to!

This morning there was a covering of snow here! As you can see from these plot photos it was very bleak.

An icy pond

A snowy log pile

Where's the flowers?

The vegetable patch

Roll on summer!