birds
It’s the Great British Bird Watch or words to that effect. We’ve never participated properly. You have to sit staring out the window for an hour noting numbers and species. Moreover they have to be seen on the ground and not in transit to some other garden. One that presumably has tastier delicacies on offer in the feeder. Worms etc.
We do get birds in our garden. Normally blackbirds and wood pigeons but the summer has been known to bring a nice variety. Hannah once had the presence of mind to capture a woodpecker tapping away at the nuts. We also have a wren and some robins plus the usual collection of tits.
Today’s weather is pretty crappy. I had given some thought to a ten mile walk but instead will hit the gym for a stint. It’s interesting how having a goal, in my case making a creditable effort at the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk in May, has changed my approach to exercise and the gym. In my mind I am happy with the notion of spending a couple of hours sweating away on the machines. This is because I know that on the actual walk I’ll need to sustain it for up to ten hours or more. The longest stretch is 23 miles.
As I write Andy Murray is once again losing the final of the Australian Open Tennis. It is premature to say that he has lost because it is still only the second set but Andy is behind at the mo. Cmon Andy. He is playing Novak Djokovic. I really like that name. It really rolls off the tongue. Very poetic and very appropriate for philosopherontap.com.
In other news I have a developing toothache sitch. It began on Friday en route home from London and dips in and out of my consciousness. Yesterday I had (the contents of) a tin of vegetable soup for lunch. Whilst the soup was still hot my tooth was in agony. Had to leave it to cool right down. Soup was insipid enough as it was.
It’s raining now. I’ve moved operations to the conservatory so that I might see a bird or two. They have more sense than to be out in this weather. Tucked up in nests somewhere no doubt. Must make sure our central heating is still on.
This tennis is getting very distracting. I’m going to have to turn it off. Tennis is as bad as cricket when it comes to playing on your nerves.
Oo a robin has just flown to the bird feeder. I’ve moved the feeders nearer the house this winter so that we get a better view. They are dangling off the rose around the arch at the end of the path. The theory is that the thorns of the rose will keep the squirrels away. Not sure if it has worked but hey. The upshot is that I suspect the small birds that can reach the feeder spend a little more time looking around for any signs of danger before they take the plunge. The robin did just that and when he flew down to the feeder he spent just enough time there to peck a seed and then fly off. Hopefully he got what he wanted. Maybe I’ll move them back to the apple tree.
The feeders at the rose seem inaccessible to woodpigeons who now just peck around underneath hoping to catch any discards. I don’t like woodpigeons. Their noise is irritating and they bully the smaller birds. I guess they have a place in the ecosystem.
Later this morning the attic beckons…