Spring has sprung. And that makes me think of my father-in-law. No longer with us, he was an avid birdwatcher. That’s where I think I got this shorty ditty:
Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the birdies is.
The bird is on the wing, But that’s absurd. From what I’ve heard. The wing is on the bird!
That’s definitely the case either recited with a Yankie accent, or not. The grass is bright fresh green and launching itself skyward. That’s my English garden. Time to dig the lawn mower out of the shed. Dust it off and see if it will run.
Bird life is on the move. Winter slumbers have turned to springtime thoughts of finding a mate. First thing this morning, off in the distance, at the river’s edge, I saw two Egrets[1] plodding around. They seemed to be ignoring each other, but I bet that’s not the case.
Yesterday, was the vernal equinox, the first proper day of springtime. The weather is behaving itself. The ground is still wet underfoot but at least the process of drying out has begun.
Yesterday, in the adjoining field, I saw a colourful male pheasant[2] wandering around as if it was lost. It’s as if he’d lost his sense of direction, bobbing around the marshy riverbank.
This morning, standing on the fence adjoining my house an assertive little dunnock[3] was surveying the garden. He didn’t seem phased by my presence. Alert to everything that was going on. I’m sure he could see more of my garden than me.
Wrens, Robins, Bluetits and Blackbirds are almost too common to mention. They take their time feeding when the Jackdaws are off doing something else. When the Jackdaws[4] come down in mass it’s like a crowd of football supporters. Almost as noisy. They take over and the smaller birds flee. Watching the Jackdaws interact with each other it’s clear they have a complex social order. The older birds, I assume, are larger and have a head with a more defined band. They push their seniority on every occasion. The younger birds, hopping and jumping as if queuing for permission to take the bast places.
Dare I mention the pigeons. My least favourite common bird. Bit like fat flying rats. They do their thing almost oblivious to any other wildlife. No risk of their numbers declining.
I prefer the Canadian Geese over scruffy pigeons. They too are at not of likelihood of any population risk. I’ve seen as many as twenty grazing in the field. They compete with the Jackdaws to be the noisiest birds.
I must admit, on the positive side, they are incredibly able flyers. To get a sizable round body up in the air with grace and style is impressive. Picture prefect formation flying too.
Spring has sprung. A great time to be out and about.
[1] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/little-egret
[2] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/pheasant
[3] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/dunnock
[4] https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/jackdaw
John Vincent 