Just as we were about to go on our dog walk this afternoon, I found my beautiful song thrush – very dead in the front garden. Her beak was wide open, and she looked perfect. I have no idea why or how she died, and I am devastated about it. Here she is just 2 weeks ago, tucking in to some raisins. Poor thing.
It’s been one of those days of ups and downs chez moi today. It was a lovely spring day, with blue sky and sunshine. Through my office window I can see Pendle Hill, which is still snow capped, and always looks moody and intimidating.
The birds must have been enjoying the countryside as they have been notably lacking in the garden, but I did have a form of wildlife sunbathing and showing her credentials to the world for a couple of hours.
A very pretty dunnock has taken to surveying her territory from the shed roof. A very brave thing for a dunnock. If she is a dunnock that is!!!
Whatever, she amused me for quite a while, until I saw Roland. He is our resident rat, and here he is, tucking in to the seed underneath the starling tray. As you can imagine, there is always a surplus of seed down there.
I was pleased to see Mr. Chaffinch again, but all too fleetingly. A robin hung about most of the day, accompanied by only half a dozen sparrows, a couple of jousting blackbirds and a few other regulars, but not in any great numbers. Mr. and Mrs. Coal Tit were busy doing what they do best, refusing to stay still long enough for me to photograph.
I also had a panic when my blue tit failed to arrive home at his normal time. I was imagining all sorts after the demise of my thrush. However, he made it back at 6pm. Dirty stop out. It was dark!
Ah well, Bottoms Up everyone. Tomorrow’s another day.
I could swear he was looking at me when I pressed the shutter.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Hi Sparrow, so sorry to hear about your Song thrush, how sad, I wonder what happened.
your pictures are looking good, I've added your camera to my list of cameras to look at, I'm upgrading for my birthday, it looks like they take nice shots, can you add larger zoom lenses to yours.
I love the view from your garden, your so lucky, no hills around here.
And your Boxer brings back memories, my old Boxer used to lie like that for hours it must be a Boxer thing. Shes gorgrous. I must scan some pics of her and put them up for you, we didn't have a digital camera when we had her.
There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.
Fantastic illustrated summary of your day. Your photographs are brilliant. Sorry your day started with such a sad scene, but I suppose they also die of old age. I am not a lover of rats so he/she would have to go if they were in my garden.
Good evening, Sparrow.
Very sorry indeed to hear about your Song Thrush. They are one of my favourite garden birds and she looked a lovely little thing. The circle of life, I guess. Love that view over to Pendle Hill - makes me want to get on my walking boots. Thanks for sharing your day with us - oh and that definately is a dunnock!
On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it - Jules Renard
Hi Sparrow
Love your pictures, and I feel so sad to hear about your Song Thrush. What a sad end to a lovley bird.
In my former garden I found one of my Male Blackbirds on the ground. He had been fighting - his claws where full of black feathers. I think he collided into our bird table and broke his neck - poor thing. I gave him a send of, and put him in a cardboard box and buried him in the garden - so sad.
Love Roland Rat in your pictures, and he must be the best vacumn to clean up all the bird seed in your garden. I would not be keen to have Rats as I think that is one way of annoying neighbours with our 'free' distribution of bird food.
Lovely little Dunnock you have there. They are in full singing mode at the moment.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi Sparrow,
Sorry to hear about the Song Thrush I had one in my garden during the really cold snap,but I haven't seen it for a few weeks.The pictures of your day are really good and the weather to match.
Littleowl
Sorry to hear about your sad start to the day. Fantastic view from your house. Nothing to look at but other houses and a fire station tower from here. Lovely pics, lola looks like she's enjoying the sun. The last one did not show up, what was it of?
Sarah
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
Sad to hear about your songthrush perhaps we will never know why or how. Lovely pictures. It took about 2 weeks for the little birds to find my feeder, but I am topping up mealworms every other day now.
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
Thanks everyone for your comments. I still feel very sad about my little thrush, but that's nature.
I've added your camera to my list of cameras to look at, I'm upgrading for my birthday, it looks like they take nice shots, can you add larger zoom lenses to yours.
Bishy – don’t ask silly questions. I have no idea! Sarum Bat and Littleowl have the same camera. Maybe they can tell you.
oh and that definately is a dunnock!
Corriepaw – thanks. I knew it was really, but have now lost all confidence since yesterday’s question of is it a chaffinch? No it’s a sparrow!
The last one did not show up, what was it of?
Bramble – the last pic was of a coal tit going head first in the food, bottoms up. You haven’t missed much. It isn’t a good photo.
It took about 2 weeks for the little birds to find my feeder, but I am topping up mealworms every other day now.
Birdwatcher – I know I must be patient, but it is hard being patient when you are me!!!
Hi Sparrow, I see you have berry suet pellets, I usually get the insect ones, I ordered from really wild foods this time as there pellets are such a good price, but they had run out of them when I ordered so brought the berry ones, all the birds were really suspicious of them, the Robins more so, the first robin to land at the bowl for a feed nearly fell of the wall in shock, he kept hopping forwards to snatch some oats really quickly before they grabbed him, all the birds are now eating them it's been two days now, but the robins still won't touch them, do your robins eat them, is it just a matter of time for them to realise I'm not trying to poison them and they will tuck in.
Hi Bishy,
The first lot of pellets I tried were the insect ones, and nothing ate them. They just got soggy and wasted. Even the starlings turned their noses up. I tried the berry ones and they went immediately - sparrows, starlings of course, and jackdaws. So this is what I now buy. I have never seen a robin eat them. My robins love the JacobiJayne tub cakes, which are insect and peanut ones, but apart from the starlings and robins, nothing else touches these tub cakes. I also have half coconuts for the tits, but don't get many tits. To be honest, I am in a mess with my fat things and need some advice about it as I know I am spending too much and not sure if I am gaining much, if you see what I mean. Perhaps we should start a new thread on the provision of fats, and which species like which types.