You should see the sunset from my front garden, slowly sinking behind the hills the other side of Loch Fyne. Behind us a ring of larch trees provides homes for a family of red squirrels, abundant rooks, a family of hooded crows, a pair of greater spotted woodpeckers, and a retreat for the myriad small birds who feed in the back garden every day. On the ground the chaffinches outnumber the robin, blackbird, wren, dunnock, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, greenfinch, goldfinch, and siskin - all of which find our feeders irresistible. Pheasants and collared doves arrive on time twice each day - knowing when we put the nuts, seed, and birdcake out.
Some evenings, at twilight, we look out across the meadow in front to see a beautiful herd of red deer quietly feeding with their young ones, or we watch the martins skimming before the all snuggle up in the nest they built by our front door in the Spring. Buzzards wheel overhead and the little birds fly for cover in our willow and hazel trees. Closer to the ground, in our own small meadow by the stream at the bottom of the garden, butterflies - including the whites, peacock, and Scotch Argus - flit among the thistles, yarrow, and tall grasses. Bees hum across our clover lawn when it's in full bloom and a carpet of white in May-June.
What a lovely place to live!
Jackie Veronica, from Cowal by Loch Fyne
Hello Jackie and welcome to the forum. What a beautiful description of where you live. As I look out of my window it is gloomy and overcast - absolutely no chance of the sun breaking through here today. Thankfully that doesn't stop my "regulars" - the most vocal of which is Mr Chaffinch who, having gained my attention, is now glaring (in the best way he can) at me through the window because the starlings have nicked all the choicest morsels of food again!
Squirrel
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Hello Jackie you have painted a perfect picture with words, sounds really lovely, so differnet to the overcrowded South East. Welcome .
Yesterday morning we put out some morsels the sort that have insects in etc., It was quite amazing as there were no Starlings around then one came down to the bird table and flew off with the one in it's beak within minutes the garden was full of them. I have visions of a scout going out in the morning to find the best food and then reports back.to the others.
You could well be right as similar happens with my 24+ starlings. One does a fly-past, next thing you know the tables are bare! Interestingly, nine times out of ten, the one doing the fly-past performs this action within 2 minutes of my replenishing the tables. Starlings with binoculars and a bugging device which picks up sound from a long way away...?
Welcome to the site, Jackie, and thank you for your lovely description of the views and events from your garden- sounds wonderful!
Sounds wonderful Jackie! I'm very jealous... :-) Welcome to the forums.
Make the boy interested in natural history if you can; it is better than games [Robert Falcon Scott]
Hello Jackie and welcome to the site. That's a lovely description of where you live. You've painted a brilliant picture.
Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
Heron77 said: Hello Jackie and welcome to the site. That's a lovely description of where you live. You've painted a brilliant picture. Paul.
I agree! But would be great to see some photos please Jackie! ;-)
Oh, and welcome to the forum!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
Welcome to the site Jackie. It sounds idyllic where you live. The nearest I can get to Loch Fyne is the Loch Fyne Restaurant about 6 miles from here at Elton.
Hi Jackie,
Very poetic description, your 'patch' sounds absolutely wonderful. I remember years ago visiting my wife's sister when she lived in Hunter's Quay, and getting so lost on a drive that we almost ended up travelling back to Lanarkshire. (ie 'the long way round') but the enduring memory was the beauty of the scenery.
I'm comparing where you live with my patch, (Uddingston, Sth Lanarkshire) with the M74 extension and new housing developmnts destroying the landscape, and its good to know that our friends in Holyrood haven't managed to destroy all of Scotland's natural heritage.
Hope you keep us up to date with the wonders that you see.
I even love magpies