Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Before Sun-up - Bird Song - Packing

Thought you would like the sparrows and a goldfinch.

One seldom sees 'spadgers' as they are called round here, featuring in wildlife photography. Not considered exotic or interesting enough I 'spose. But to me they are adorable birds, friendly, not too aggressive and more than welcome in our winter-jasmine hedge. Yesterday I saw a lady-blackbird going into that hedge, with a beakful of nesting material. I hope they all get on well together.

The early morning bird song has begun to be quite noticeable. Not yet a fully blown 'dawn chorus' though. Bird populations vary a lot. Both Jill and Madeline have reported woodpeckers in their gardens and Madeline has jays - and I've not seen one for several years. I will fight back the temptation to show you my great tits, because Steven would convulse with laughter.

Yesterday's Blog wasn't missing due to 'matters photographic' as Bungus suggested, but because we had been out all day. Y for 'hair' and getting her nail fixed at the chinese place then lunch out with Joan (we went to The Travellers Rest - expensive but super food and ambience) followed by mini-shopping then I had my packing to do.

I called in to the Hospice book shop again and fortunately they hadn't sold the Film Review Annual for 1947. In fact they had two copies so I bought both for a £1. The pictures are incredible. James Mason looking very handsome and villainous and Jean Simmons described as a promising newcomer. I'm glad I acquired both copies because if any regular blog reader would like one I am willing to send it.

......Catch you all later. Take care.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our 'dawn chorus' is coming along nicely - I could pick out thrushes, blackbirds, robins, a wren, greenfinch, great and blue tits. Plus some others I can't identify. Thrushes suprised me, I haven't seen a song trush for several years. We do have resident magpies and jays though, don't really like these predatory birds in suburban gardens, but they are just so handsome when the sun is on them. We haven't had sparrows for years....

Anonymous said...

I think one of the problems with photographing birds is that they are so well camouflaged.
A super competition winning photograph, of young swallows being fed, appeared in ‘U3A News’. The photographer took some 80 Canon 20D shots in an hour to get it.
But I was less impressed by the winners of their annual Photographic Competition.


Yesterday, within a five minute slot, we had a Wren, a Song Thrush and a Wood Pigeon apart from the usual couple of Collared Doves and half-dozen or so each of Blackbirds and Sparrows. Our Robin seems to have disappeared though, for the moment.
It will be interesting to see what effect the loss of habitat has. I’d say there are still plenty of trees and hedges around, in our garden and others.

My remark about 'photographic matters' was a cryptic cover for your real reasons for not blogging coupled with a wish to reassure others that you were not unwell. Never mind; you can't win 'em all, as they say!

I am a little surprised by your enthusiasm for the food at the Traveller’s Rest (assuming it is the one on Mapperley Top). I remember that we once ended up there by accident, having failed to find the pub we were looking for. Nothing wrong with it but I thought it very much decent pub-chain food in an all right chain pub. I wouldn’t mind going there again to suit someone else but it would never be a deliberate choice.


If no REAL buff wants the spare Film Review Annual for 1947, I would like it. I would like to have a look anyway. I have something similar from around the same time but it is currently packed away (I am having a new bookcase made to replace the shelves lost in Sandra’s revamp of the small bedroom which was once my Amstrad room).