Bird Table Cage.

Because the larger birds like Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws and Magpies, have been monopolizing the bird table for months, gobbling up all the food put there in minutes, the smaller birds have been left with little to feed them on the table. Latterly, I stopped putting food out entirely. It was just too expensive for no good returns. 

Now however, the small birds are the chosen ones. This week I fitted the bird table with a protective cage, which effectively keeps out larger birds and even squirrels. 

To begin with I was sceptical that the birds would enter the enclosed space, after all, it does resemble a trap. I also thought that even the largest apertures, (30 mm square,) would not be big enough to allow Blackbirds entry.

It took only a day for the local birds to case the joint and add it to their go to zones. Now they are popping in an out in an unconcerned fashion. They are in fact much safer as they feed. Blackbirds have a bit of a squeeze, but nothing uncomfortable. Best of all, any food placed on the table, lasts them much longer than in the days of the pushy plunderers.

Wood Pigeons.

Over the years I have tolerated these plump and pushy birds. I have rescued them innumerable times when they have entered the greenhouse to feed on our produce and then been too dumb to get out. I have allowed them to feed from the bird table, even though they devoured most of the food placed there, thus denying the smaller birds a decent feed. I have let them trample all over our daffodils and I have never seriously contemplated harming them.

 

But of late, it seems that this treatment has encouraged more than ever of them to frequent the garden and they are starting to be a significant pest. Unfortunately,  they are too large to be tackled by our also numerous Sparrow Hawks, which can take out a Collard Dove but do not attack the Wood Pigeons. 

 

This has resulted in me shocking myself, with the thought that I should cull some of these birds. I don't know whether I can steel myself to do it, but just in case, I have been reading through pigeon recipes and looking at an excellent video about how to pluck and gut them. (View.)

 

Macabre or what! No, just cost effective game control and usage in the countryside. It couldn't be more natural.  

The Old Woodman.

 

Whilst on a woodland walk today, I got to thinking about an old chap I knew in my secondary school days. His name was Mr Butterworth and I would sometimes come across him when I was out walking the woods with our dog "Rusty".

 

At the time he was about sixty years of age, rather skinny and always dressed in that no-fuss country yokel style, that was just about standard in countryside and farm workers up until the end of the second world war; waistcoat, gaiters and even down to a knotted handkerchief round his neck. He was a woodsman who worked by himself in "Balls Wood" Hertford Heath, which was managed by the Forestry Commission.

 

Butterworth was a shy and retiring man and it took quite a long period of time to get to know him. In passing I would wish him good day and he would just nod in reply. However, his collie companion was much more friendly and gradually the ice thawed and we got talking.

 

When moving work from one location in the wood to another, the first thing he would do, was build himself a hut, rather like a den, which would be hidden out of sight in the bracken. It would be constructed with a green branch framework and thatched over with bracken. It was only a temporary shelter, but it kept out the wind and rain. Here he would keep his tools and old army rucksack.

 

In a safe spot near the hut he would build a slow fire on a hearth of rocks and a billycan of water would be on the boil for making tea. One day I was offered a mug of tea and that was how we got talking. The subject we had in common was an interest in nature. At the time I was often in the wood to check on the progress and safety of a Tawny Owl's nest which contained two owlets. My host was really adept at finding nests and he would often show my the superbly camouflaged nests of ground nesting birds. How he found them always amazed me, as this was something I was not good at.

 

One of the things that he taught me, was how to set a rabbit snare. First you had to find a run in the grass and then from the patterns of tracks, identify a place where the rabbit would take off in it's next hop. You would then peg the snare with the wire loop open above that spot. When the rabbit next came down the run, especially if it had been startled, it would be snared and that would be the end of another pest which was destroying his young saplings. If the rabbit was not eaten by foxes during the night, he would skin and gut it and place it a pot over the fire to make a stew.

 

Other tracks that he showed me were those of the elusive Muntjac deer, which in those days were not as common as they are now.

 

Although he was tremendously knowledgeable about his work and the wildlife that surrounded him, he was not at all interested in the news of the larger world. I remember him being completely disbelieving that mankind had visited the moon. He found that to be totally beyond the bounds of reason.

 

After I left home and went to sea, I never had a chance to meet this character again. He was part of a dying breed and I was lucky to have had a chance to share some of his wisdom. He lived in the nearby hamlet of Goose Green. A couple of years ago I visited the area and walked in those woods with my son. They are not so well tended now that there is no longer a dedicated resident woodman to care for them.

 

 

Don't Stone The Crows.

When a raucous and unruly gang of Carrion Crows gather in the garden at the crack of  dawn each morning, to unleash a jarring and loud cacophony of their version of "song", I am reminded, (actually I never forgot,) of just why these birds are no favourites of mine.

 

There is however, a reason why I do not berate them for their lack of melody and why I do nothing to deter them. These crows do not like their cousins the Magpies and I agree with them in that.

 

Both types of birds are omnivorous, but the Magpies are voracious nest robbers, whilst the Crows, though egg eaters, are less of a danger to other birds in this respect. You only have to witness Magpies attacking and eating young nestlings a few times, to find yourself beginning to dislike them. They may only be doing what comes naturally to them to fend for themselves, but I would rather that they wouldn't do it in my sight.

 

Now, when Carrion Crows are in the area, they do not tolerate the presence of the Magpies and because the Crows are bigger and stronger, the latter tend to keep out of their way and this helps to reduce the number of songbird nests that get destroyed in the garden.

 

Last year it so happened that a pair of Magpies built their domed twig nest in a nearby tree and the female laid a clutch of eggs. One morning about six crows flew in from all points of the compass. Some of them distracted the breeding pair, whilst the others gained access to the nest and breakfasted on the eggs.

 

Call me a unfeeling ghoul, but I was quite happy with that result. 

Year of the Rabbit.

This year Chinese New Year falls on the 3rd of February. If you were born in any of the following years, this is your year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, you are a Rabbit: -

1903, 1915, 1927, 1939 ,1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 2011.

It seems that according to the Zodiac, rabbits are not especially noted for breeding like - well you know, but don't despair, there are plenty of other notable traits:

• Modest, sensitive souls who are kind and quick to show mercy.
• Clever and hard working in business, whose word is their bond.
• Well spoken, talented and usually ambitious.
• They do not like a quiet life and are adept at livening situations with humour.
• In searching for a partner, may be fickle and insecure, but once fixed, are constant.

As to what the Rabbit year may bring, the predictions are vague, but it looks as though it will be sparse grazing throughout. No surprises there then.

Eat That Frog.

A chap that I know has been looking for a way to combat his propensity for procrastination.

I gave him the book "Eat That Frog," which contains simple and useful weapons for such a battle.

He was grateful, but he has not actually opened the book as yet.