Corn growing in Yorkshire
I thought I would take weekly photos of the corn growing and how it changes as the weeks go by.
We are lucky to live in a country that can grow our food like this.
This countryside is home to a lot of our native birds. They scurry in and out of the hedge bottoms, flit in and out of the hedgerows and sit on branches of trees. This countryside is there home – share it with them for a few weeks and share the changing colour of the corn.
Photo taken early April
EarlyApril 2009
Corn growing on 20th April
You won’t be able to see much difference, but believe me the corn has grown in just over one week.
In July or August the corn will be ready for harvesting and the combine harvester with spring into action like some sleeping beast that comes out of hibernation once a year.
It’s a skill knowing the exact time to combine the corn. Does anyone know, or would anyone like to learn
Trisha
Crows treating blackbirds as friends or food
Some days I see crows and blackbirds together in my garden. There are also rooks. There are more rooks than crows.
The crows don’t seem to take any notice of the blackbirds. Neither do the rooks.
The blackbirds don’t seem frightened of the crows.
The blackbirds, rooks and crows land on the grass together. If something frightens them, they fly off together.
Yet, and this is the strange thing, I have seen a crow eating a blackbird.
I have also had a lady write to me saying she saw a crow catch a live blackbird to eat.
Does anyone else have crows / rooks / blackbirds together in their garden or in a park nearby, or in a town centre.
Has anyone else seen a crow or rook eating a blackbird?
White tailed blackbird – April 2009
I haven’t seen a white tailed blackbird in our garden for ages.
Fleetingly, a while ago I saw two white tailed blackbirds in our garden at the same time.
Every other time there has only been one.
They stood out from the rest and were instantly noticeable. I miss seeing them among the other blackbirds.
Don’t know what has happened to them. I suppose I never will know. Perhaps tomorrow because I have written this they will appear in the garden.
Or maybe the sparrowhawk has got them.
Funnily enough I saw a blackbird with white feathers on its wing a few days ago. It was hopping about on the grass verge and I could clearly see it was a blackbird. It had about three really white feathers showing on it’s back.
I was the passenger in a car and we were travelling very slowly so I got a clear view of it as birds ignore cars. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me.
So it seems white feathered blackbirds are around to stay.
Swift Tower at the Olympics
Swifts have been in Britain for centuries, but they may soon vanish from England and the UK – which we can’t let happen.
There are no places for swifts on modern buildings. There used to be nooks and crevices for them to build their nests, but not any longer as modern and renovated buildings make it impossible for them to nest.
A group called Swift Conservation are doing all sorts of things to stop this happening. They are getting involved with the Olympics in London by erecting Swift Nesting Poles in the Olympics biodiversity area..
What a great idea this is. We can all help and donate and follow the Swift Conservation Group as they work towards keeping swifts in our skies.
Here is a reply I received when I contacted them -
Dear Trish,
Dick Newell passed on your very welcome e-mail to me, as I am involved in the Olympics project, where we hope to have a Swift Tower or Pole erected as part of the site’s biodiversity features.Best wishes, Yours, Edward
Click the link below to see what efforts they are going to -
Swift Conservation - http://www.swift-conservation.org/ – Keeping Life in our Skies!
Here is another email I received -
Dear Trisha,
Thanks for getting back to me. I had a useful meeting with the Olympics biodiversity team last week, and will have another soon I think to discuss further ideas for Swift nest places on their site.
Meanwhile I’ll tell them of your kind offer (I’m copying them in to this e-mail) and we’ll see what they say!
All the best, Yours, Edward
Click here to see more info about swifts
Bird Feeding in the garden
I have been outside a lot today gardening and sorting the bird food area out.
At the moment there are such a lot of rooks and crows flying overhead as soon as I put the bird food out. On the other hand I get birds such as the coal tit coming to the ground feeder.
As usual it’s the blackbirds and thrushes that are missing out as they can’t enter the meshed ground feeder as they are too big. Because of this they get the left overs from what the rooks and crows eat.
I have had some really good advice about putting out some wire and I have sort of done this with some wire I have here. We’ll see if it works. If I put the birdfood inside the wire it should keep the large birds out.
I think a good way of feeding birds is by planting bird friendly plants, shrubs, trees and flowers.
I am also forking up areas of soil near to the base of hedges, shrubs and bushes to make it easy for blackbirds and thrushes to get at the grubs and worms in the soil.
In summer the ground can get really hard here so I’m going to continue doing what I did last summer – recycle some of the household water onto the garden soil near the base of the shrubs and bushes and areas that I’ve forked over.
Am I mad?
I just see all these garden birds around me and then I see the rooks getting all the food and it is really annoying.
I’ll always put bird food out. But forking the ground and putting water near the roots of shrubs so the garden birds can get worms easily are other ways to make life easier for our garden birds.
It gives me a bit extra exercise as well! walking backwards and forwards from the house with a bucket of water a few times a day. Who needs the gym!
I have seen a few blackbirds and thrushes pecking on these soft, damp areas of soil, so hopefully it’s working.
I just need to know if soapy water is OK to pour onto soil near plants and for blackbirds and thrushes to peck at
Prayer for a bird
Birds are so alive with bird song and movement. I read this poem about the death of a bird and thought I would share it with you -
Prayer for the Burial of a Bird
This sparrow died today, O Lord,
Your feathered creature small.
We lay him in the friendly earth
And ask Your blessings on us all.
It made me remember clearly the day last year I found a dead sparrow near our garden gate. I picked up this dead sparrow. I was so amazed how light it was in my hand. Ths feathers and bone together weighed hardly anything at all. All the energy had gone from it (of course).
One reason I’m glad I started this bird diary is because it reminds me of what happened in the past. There was nothing to show why this little sparrow had died.
We should treasure birds and enjoy seeing them full of live. We shouldn’t take for granted their birdsong and their presence in or near our lives.
We should help them where we can.
Lets join together and feed the birds.
Best.Trisha.
Swallows, chiffchaffs and blackcaps in Yorkshire
swallow on a wire
It’s great to hear some local news about bird migration, swallows, chiffchaffs and blackcaps. As well as nesting time, bird migration time is here.
We haven’t seen any swallows where I live yet - am looking forward to seeing them return, but David sends his bird watching observations and he lives on the Yorkshire Wolds as well. Thanks David -
Despite some miserable weather over Easter it looks like the bird migration is underway. I saw my first Swallow perched on the wires on 7th April and have seen one nearly everyday since. They are also appearing in ones and two elsewhere locally including Cowlam and Kirby Grindalythe.
For the last couple of weeks there have been Chiffchaffs in suitable habitat everywhere. I heard my first singing males at Weaverthorpe and Sherburn a couple of weekends ago with more at Sledmere and Cowlam over Easter. The first Willow Warblers came in over Easter with birds in scrubby patches again at Cowlam and Sledmere.
The first local Blackcap was at Haverdale Lane near West Lutton on Easter Monday.
David
Nesting Birds
The nesting season is here and nesting birds are busy building nests, sitting on the clutch of eggs and then feeding the young.
Adult birds seach for high energy food to feed their fledglings. So when you feed your birds you will be helping them keep up their energy.
It’s the time of year when you see more activity in the garden. This is why it’s a good idea to make sure your feeders and tables are well stocked up.
The breeding in this country runs from about the start of March to the end of August but there are some birds that breed outside these months.
The breeding season may vary from year to year depending on factors such as climate and food.
Below is a photo I took last year of two fledglings sitting on the fence. They will have had families of their own now!
young birds on a fence
Let’s all put some food and water out for the British Birds!