Isilme and that time of year again (part one of two)
It’s that time of year again. Our strawberries have not been that prolific, but furnished us with strawberries to have with cream the other day. The remaining few will likely go into a trifle. We had a few raspberries and yoghurt last week too.
Then the blackcurrants started to ripen. Well, they were well-ripened by the time I got around to picking any. The birds were certainly upset. The jackdaws were doing low fly-bys and squawking. This set the sparrows off.
The sparrows were sitting on the guttering angrily chirping at me. Then one, a teenager no doubt, decided to risk it and flew into the bay tree. Some of the blackcurrant branches poke up through the bay tree.
Teen sparrow was chirping as if to say, “I’m going to show her. I’ll take some of the berries. I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it” The others were chorusing, “No, come back, don’t risk it. Don’t risk it!” You could hear the urgency in their chirps.
I walked round the tree (the long way, just to sneak up) and tried to see Teen sparrow but the others obviously alerted him and he flew off before I got to see him. And then there was complete silence.
Lovely story, thanks for that. I have spent time watching birds and how they interact between species. Over the last few years there has been a noticeable decline in most types of bird, fewer thrushes and starlings sparrows are rarity. Swifts and swallows don’t visit these days, though I did spot a jay for the first time in decades.
We are very fortunate then. Lots of sparrows and a huge number of house martins on our house and next door’s. There was a huge kerfuffle with the house martins at my house. I don’t know what was going on but it was a huge argument. Perhaps one of them went to the wrong nest!
At night we have owls. Screech owls for sure, but also the ordinary sounding ones. I’m not all that au fait with birds. We also seem to have quite a few curlews around.
I’m sad to see such a decline in the birds. I don’t think I’ve seen a thrush in ages. Something was singing very melodiously in our ornamental cherry tree, but it was too high up to identify. The song wasn’t thrush-like. I don’t know what it was, but enjoyed the song.
I heard a nightingale once – stunning. But that was down south and we’re now up north. Not heard one up here.