Every morning starting around
6 am I hear the geese (Brent geese I think) flying south towards the salt
marshes. They come over in waves for about an hour, squawking and clacking. I
love listening to them. They are always too early for me to get a decent photo,
but I managed to get a couple at 7 am. Poor quality and the smudge in the sky
isn’t very impressive, but I thought the sky was a pretty colour.
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| Flying South |
I have seen some birds flying
north. Not sure what they were, but they were smaller than geese and silent.
Maybe they move out when the geese move in.
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| Flying North |
As it is half term we’d
planned a trip to the cinema on Wednesday, but a completely flat tyre put paid
to that and as we had already booked the tickets, we lost the money. This is
the third time we’ve had to cancel a pre-booked cinema trip in the last few
years, but hey ho, I think sometimes these things happen for a reason.
Anyway, thank goodness for
parks this week! We’ve spent hours in them! Hours and hours, making the most of the lovely weather.
We had our oak tree lopped
back this week. It’s always sad to see it so heavily shorn, but it recovers
quickly and we always wait until the birds have definitely finished nesting. I
just hope most of the bugs and spiders managed to get away before it all went
in the shredder.
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| Before |
I always find it very
worrying seeing the guy so high up the tree with his chainsaw.
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| Can you see him? |
Harley was terrified and
stayed behind the sofa until they had finished. It’s very noisy with the
chainsaws going and the big shredder chewing up all the branches.
At one point you couldn’t see
the garden because it was just full of lopped off branches.
Dusty wasn’t bothered at all.
He just wanted to get out there and play in all the exciting new bushes that
had suddenly appeared.
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| Why Can't I Go Out? |
Tinks was pretty relaxed about it all.
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| Whatever... |
They did such a good job of
clearing up and raking when they’d finished, that the garden looked tidier than
it did before they arrived!
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| After |
I don't like chainsaws either - can't watch anyone using them.
ReplyDeleteYou've made me think about the birds in general...I've not seen very many this year. Perhaps they've been put off by the chilly climate? It's not been the best here in the East Midlands this year.
Sounds like you're busy with the grand children and the animals. :-)
We haven't had as many birds in the garden, but I thought that was since Tinks came to live with us (Harley doesn't bother the birds). It's worrying if the numbers are down. I have noticed there aren't as many bees and wasps about too. I've only seen two wasps this year.
ReplyDeleteChainsaws are scary aren't they!
What a beautiful tree, Teresa, and I love Dusty looking longingly outside! We can hardly keep up with the blue tits, robins and sparrows visiting the hydrangea tree outside our kitchen window where we hang up food. There's one particular branch where they queue up for their turn, but occasionally squabbles break out! I keep trying to take pictures, but they fly away as soon as I go near the window! XXX
ReplyDeleteIt is, Joanna. If we ever move from here I will miss it so much. We have had to find places to hang food for the birds out of Tinks's reach so can't see them so easily now. I love the sound of your birds queuing up waiting their turn :-) xx
DeleteFunnily enough, we're just thinking about cutting half the tree in our front garden now that the leaves are falling fast. The sound of geese sounds lovely and that is a pretty blue sky.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely sound isn't it.
DeleteI've seen a few completely bare trees, but the oak tree was hanging on to its leaves. That's one job we won't have to do this year!
It's so interesting to see them all assembling before taking off, often really loudly. They must have an inner calendar and weather forecast.
ReplyDeleteThey are amazing aren't they - that instinct that makes them move at a particular time.
DeleteSending this from my phone to see if it works! What a lovely old tree. I'm sure it will soon recover in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteYes! It worked :-) It is a lovely old tree. I don't know what they were thinking building houses all round it - actually I do know! The builders were in the process of chopping it down when someone stopped them so when we moved in, it was very lopsided, poor old tree.
DeleteMigrating birds are an impressive sight - even when just a smudge in the distance!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patsy - you are very kind about my smudges :-)
DeleteIt is very annoying when you pay and pre-book tickets for the cinema and then can't make it. I did that with my daughter recently and you can't help but feel it's money down the drain, but as you say, these things happen for a reason.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots of the birds migrating!
It's the third time it's happened to us! You'd think I'd have learnt by now. Thanks for being kind about the bird pictures :-)
DeleteI love watching the birds fly in formation like that. Haven't seen too many recently. I'm wondering with a warmer winter climate whether it affects the migration. There are plenty of birds left in our hawthorn hedge. Not sure if its the safest place for them to be because the cats are always on the rampage.
ReplyDeleteYour lovely tree looks like its had a proper short back and sides for winter. But you will need to grab hold of whatever light you can. It will be great for you to watch it all grow back as spring arrives.
I think the changing climate is changing things. It is a worry isn't it - birds and cats! I will have to try to remember to post a photo of the tree in spring :-) I don't think it will be home to any birds for a couple of years though.
DeleteThen you are keeping the birds safe!
DeleteThat's a good way of looking at it :-)
DeleteHi Teresa, I loved imagining the Brent Gees flying over and that sky does look lovely even if the Goose did become a smudge. I am always amazed by the regrowth of trees that have been lopped back. We have an ancient Yew in our garden. I don't know how old it might be but we love it and it is here to stay. (I wrote this comment before but it disappeared (lopped?) so if you get two, apologies! X
ReplyDeleteI do love yew trees! Yours probably has a history to it. If only they could talk eh? x
DeleteI can’t think of geese flying in formation without thinking of Hilda Ogden’s wall n Coronation Street!
ReplyDeleteOoh I remember those - three ducks weren't they and one of them wonky! And her mural... I mean muriel! :-)
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