Great song to help school children feel grateful for the world around them. Should be sung in all schools!!!

If you would like to read  please click the link below

http://birdtablenews.com/2009/10/think-of-a-world-without-any-flowers/

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It’s strange to think that something I wrote in 2009 is still being read and still floating about in cyberspace!

Happy reading.

The snow kept falling.

Chaffinches, sparrows, blue tits, rooks , crows and may more birds gathered round her.  In their own way they tried to move her, but knew in their hearts it was impossible.  Blackbird told every bird to sing loudly to wake the old lady up. But that did not work and she lay unconscious  in the snow, slowly being covered by a blanket of snow

We must get her inside her home.  We will have to go to our roosts soon yet we can’t leave her here.

For what seemed like hours but was in fact only ten minutes all the birds frantically flew around her and tried in vain to wake her.  All the time the snow kept falling and the freezing wind blew around her.

The fence that ran round the garden had long ago fallen down so there was no barrier between the garden and the small wooded area.  Out of the twilight and snow a shape seemed to appear.

‘Stand firm’ said dunnock ‘We cannot leave her’. 

Robin said ‘We need to look after her’

Rook said he liked her because she does not shoot rooks so they must protect her.  ‘A lot  of people do shoot rooks you know’ he squawked

Blackbird said  ‘What is that THING coming out of the wood.’

They instinctively formed a barrier between the old lady and the dog – for that is what is was – a large, fierce looking dog.  Blackbird  was very brave and flew towards the dog and tried to peck its head  but somehow could not balance and land on this large dog.

Wise Old Owl said ‘It’s Bruno’

I’ve never seen him before – chirped all the birds

‘You won’t have’ said Wise Old Owl ‘ he died 3 years ago’

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TO BE CONTINUED

‘Wait’ shouted the old woman.  ‘ I know what we can do.  You can sit on my hand and eat the bird food from my hand.

‘I can’t do that’ said the blackbird ‘We blackbirds know never to touch a human.’

” I  won’t hurt you.  Said the old woman. ‘You must know that’.

‘Five and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.  We blackbirds have an ancient knowledge that humans put blackbirds in pies and eat them!  Our law is that we never touch a human – they may catch us and put us in a pie!’

‘Such a stupid blackbird’ shouted the old woman as the wind and snow blew around her.  ‘ Have I wasted all these years feeding stupid blackbirds.  I offer you a chance of life and you say your law forbids it.  Well I tried.   Goodbye

‘You said you could not get us any more bird food.  Are you short of money?’  asked the blackbird.

‘How do you know about money’ said the old woman who was so surprised that she had to ask the question.

‘My town cousin told me’

‘You have a blackbird cousin in the town.’  The old lady slowly walked towards the meshed ground feeder as she was talking. 

Yes,she watches people, and knows the word ‘money’.  She is fat and well.

Why don’t you go and join her then.

‘SUCH NONSENSE’ squawked the blackbird – trying to get the energy to shout.  ‘I am a country blackbird.  You will never find me in a town.  SUCH NONSENSE me in a town.  I could ask you why you don’t go and live in a town.   All I need is some bird food.’

I am freezing cold out here’ sighed the old woman.  ‘I must go inside and get warm.  I need my breakfast and a warm cup of water .  I am not going to argue with you.  I do not have much bird food left.  I do not have much moneyand I cannot get to the shops anyway as the road is thick with snow.  I am going inside.  You should fly to your cousin in the town.

The blackbird found the effort to reply ”NEVER.  I will live and die a country blackbird.  I was born and will die in your garden.

‘So be it’  whispered the old lady. 

The blizzard became fierce and swirled around her, pushing her this way and that.  She clutched the bird food in her hand and let it fall through the wires of the meshed ground feeder.  sparrows, blue tits, dunnocks, chaffinches and robins flew like the wind inside the feeder and started eating.

‘Stupid Blackbird’ whispered the old lady ‘ are you still here.

‘Yes’

I have an idea that may save you

She started walking towards her door and the safety of  her home when she tripped.  She  tried to regain her balance but the wind gusted around her and helped to push her to the ground. As she fell into the ice cold snow her head hit a piece of wood (it was the remains of an old birdtable that had fallen down and she did not have the energy to move).

It seemed to be happening in slow motion.  For a moment the old lady tried to crawl towards her front door, but unconsciousness came and stopped her.  As she lay unconscious in the snow the snow fell more thickly and fiercely and started to cover her in a pure white blanket of snow.

TO BE CONTINUED

I went to a lovely Nativity Play a week ago and last night went to Midnight Mass in our lovely village Church.  What a happy service it was.  The crunch of the snow as we were walking to the
Church, the bright moonlit sky made it a lovely evening. It did help that I had two coats on though as it was freezing.

I always feel so sorry for wildllife when the weather is so harsh.

EAT

We usually eat well at Christmas but this Christmas birds and other wildlife are finding it hard.  The ground is frozen and covered in inches of snow.  We have rabbits and peasants getting braver by the day as they join the dunnocks, sparrows, and many other birds that crowd round the feeders.  What a variety of size and colour I can see. 

So when you are tucking into festive food just put a little out for the birds.  You will surely help save a life.

DRINK

i put foot and water out for my garden birds every day.  It is a full time job at the moment! This morning I saw one or two birds trying to get some water but it had frozen solid into a lump of ice. Birds do need water.  Now most of the natural water will be frozen so why not just put a small bowl of water out 

BE MERRY

I raise a glass to you all as you enjoy your Christmas Day – but first see if there is any way you can help our feathered friends survive.

If you have any questions or want to tell me your story just get in touch.

We have an old dead cherry tree out in our front garden its now a great feeding station and we can watch the birds from a foot away,

 the last two mornings there has been a bird almost like a robin but it has a

white tail ,

red breast and

white on his back,

can anyone tel us what it is please

It is a winter wonderland here.  So beautiful with the white snow, blue sky and brown hedges.  Beautiful but harsh for wildlife.

I have had to cover the ground feeder to keep the snow off the food

As soon as I put bird food out it gets eaten quickly by a variety of garden birds.  There is such a flutter and a hive of activity around the feeders.  Yesterday I filled the hanging feeder up 4 times. Surely all this food must be helping wild birds through this harsh spell.

There are so many birds in the garden.  Some of them I do not recognise.  Three yellow / greeny birds sat on the hedge ( sorry that is not very descriptive or scientific)  I have never seen them before. 

Outside the back way where it is sheltered by trees there are rabbits, pheasants, sparrows and crows feeding together on bird food that has dropped from the feeder.  Photos to follow.

It is coming in dark now and I will have to collect the 2 peanut feeders and the seed feeder and bring them inside.  If I don’t they get covered in snow and ice overnight.

I trudged through the snow and filled an upside down black dustbin lid with water – very soon it attracted garden birds.  The air was fresh and refreshing and the sky seemed to stretch on forever.

It is surprising how soon birds find a new place where I put bird food.  The snow had pushed over a bush and made a ‘tent’ where snow could not get.  I put some bird food inside this accidental ‘tent’ and sparrows were there in a flash.  Then the blackbirds came and sent them packing.

Where are the thrushes?

I must refresh myself with video and getting it onto Bird Table News.

Hope you are putting bird food out to help our feathered friends.

I went for a walk this afternoon and came across some small, light  feathers blowing in the breeze.  A second later a sparrowhawk flew out of the hedgebottom leaving behind the remains of a dead bird.  That is part of the countryside.

Took a few decent photos today of a crow with it’s outermost two tail-feathers completely white.

Could not catch a photo of him in flight, but have several sitting. He was clearly a crow. With a large group of crows.

Location. Haines, Alaska. Happy to forward photos to anyone interested

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I’m really pleased Ned from Haines, Alaska contacted me.  He’s now sent some photographs – see below 

White tailed crow in Alaska

There's a white tailed crow in town

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 Thanks for sending the photos Ned, I’ll put the other in later in the week

We have lots of crows near us.  Crows and Rooks.  What a noise they make.  Wonder how they spread so far and wide.

To find out some of the reasons why black birds sometimes have white feathers click the link below

REASONS FOR WHITE TAILED BIRDS

We have a pair of chaffinches that have started to come to the garden, they are really friendly to the point they tap on our patio windows for attention especially the male. 

They seem to be attrached to the mealworms we feed the robin. 

Yesterday the femail chaffinch squeezed her way through a gap in the door and came into the house, is this normal behaviour for chaffinches. 

They are a beautiful cheerful pair with a lot of character.

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Isn’t that a lovely thing to happen.  Pecking on a window to get attention and then coming into the house!  I received this story the other day.

I did reply and said  - 

I think you are really lucky and the chaffinches must really trust you.   

Tapping in your patio window really  shows they are intelligent and can think doesn’t it?

chaffinches squeezing  their way into houses is NOT normal chaffinch behaviour.  They really must think of your house as part of nature and not be at all afraid of you.

You’re lucky to have this connection with a wild bird.  I have been feeding chaffinches for years and Have never come close to them at all – but I do get loads at the feeders .

I remember being told once of an old man years ago who lived on his own in a sort of shed in a wood somewhere.  Many wild birds would fly into his home and treat it as part of the countryside, but he had lived there for years, but it is the same sort of connection that you have

Trisha

Last summer I counted around 15 Gold Finches in our garden and I’m pleased to say we still have around the same amount in the warmer weather.

I am very pleased they survived the harsh weather and they certainly love sunflower hearts. I have also noticed a few will eat crushed nuts but the majority stick to the SH.

During warmer weather ours will eat Niger Seed too.

With regard to all the other species we have in the garden, we’ve noticed the average amount. So I agree feeding them has kept them strong.

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I’m sure that if Shell hadn’t put bird food out there would have been many less goldfinches and other birds in her garden.  Bird feeding does help birds survive.  The same birds will be building nests now!

Shell has been watching this video and it takes us back to winter!

If you click on the link below it will take you to a winter video!

http://birdtablenews.com/2010/01/a-short-video-journey-round-some-of-my-snow-covered-feeders/

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As it was such a bad winter I think we’ll appreciate the good weather more.  I know I will

For the last two years we have had a male Chaffinch coming to our windows and pecking on them as if wanting to attract our attention.

Strange thing is he only pecks at a window if he can see us so if we are not in one of the downstairs rooms he flies to the upstairs windows till he finds us then starts pecking away?

If we go towards the window he flies off but comes back almost immediatley.

Have you heard of this before?

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Hi, thanks for getting in touch.  I have never, ever heard of such a thing!

I’m amazed.  This chaffinch is using it’s brain and realises that it can see you through windows.  It is following you round the house! 

I’ll never call anyone bird brain again.

Do you put bird food out.   Could it be that it is trying to attract your attention because the bird feeders are empty.  Maybe it is starving and wants food.  That is the only explanation I can think of.

Many years ago I forgot to put bird food out for two days when it was really snowing.  I was walking towards the gate and a bird was perched on top of the gate ‘spitting’ and ‘chirping’ frantically.  As I walked towards it it just kept looking at me and ‘spitting and chirping’.   That is the only way I can describe it.

I suddenly remembered I had forgotten the bird food.  I  quickly put some out and my garden was full of birds.

That is one reason I can think of.

Another reason is that for some unexplicable reason it has become attached to you and your family.

Has anyone else any ideas?

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