more wildlife

[Diane CBPFC]

We have beavers, which means we have water in our shallow pond for me to water my veggies with an electric pump. However, I think we are on our third pump now because the beavers also chew through the pumps. Now I haul the pump out the water when not in use.

I thought of writing in to the Chelsea Flower Show with my garden issues - that type of cherry tomato is resilient to the snacking of black bears? for instance.

I don't think Monty Don has much of a sense of humour though.

[Roger Kettle]

Another wonderful photo, Diane. I always enjoy your wildlife updates!
My granddaughter, who will be four next week, is still fascinated by all creatures great and small. She has a wonderful, withering look when I misidentify one of her plastic sea creatures. "Is that a lobster?" I asked once. "No, it's a hermit crab" she replied, barely hiding her contempt. I felt like going and standing in the corner.

[Diane CBPFC]

Watch out for the squid webs, often found in corners.

[Diane CBPFC]

A robin built her nest on the floodlight. I have taped over the switch to the floodlight until the baby birds move out.

[Roger Kettle]

I like birds but I'm not convinced they like me. Once, when I was a kid, I was climbing a tree and a huge owl took off from a branch above me, emptying its bowels as it went. My head and shirt were covered in...well, you know what. On another occasion, I tried to rescue a seagull that had become entangled in a fishing line and was unable to fly. It rewarded my kindness by grabbing my finger in its beak and refusing to let go. My watching friends found it hilarious as I danced around trying to shake a seagull off my finger which was now spraying blood everywhere. On yet another occasion, I was walking through a field where peewits nested. These birds are famous for "dive-bombing" anyone or any creature that comes near their nest. They fly at you at top speed and then turn away at the last second. The one that came at me was either short-sighted or psychopathic and it slammed into the side of my head, leaving us both momentarily dazed. I swear it laughed as it flew away.
As I said, I'm not convinced birds like me.

[Diane CBPFC]

Well THREE birds don't like you for sure.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Well THREE birds don't like you for sure.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Nesting robins sound particularly special, Diane. Particularly so far away from Christmas in either direction.

I'm sure you must have seen Burt Lancaster as 'The Birdman Of Alcatraz' at least once, Roger. What went wrong?

But I empathise. I went to see Saints play East Fife in a pre-season friendly at the picturesque (since they knocked down the old power station beside it) Bayview Stadium in Methil three years ago. It was a beautifully sunny day, and the perfect conditions to debut the new Harrington jacket I'd just bought that week. We eventually won the game in the second half after Steven Maclean brought on ten subs at half time (8 teenagers and two auld yins), with only the goalkeeper surviving the cull for the second half after a woeful struggle in vain by the first team squad to break down the lower league Fifers in the first half. The kids and veterans ran riot after that and we left the stadium with a 0-3 win, a little bemused about the season to come, but happy in the end.

Anyway, I had a very enjoyable walk back to my car parked in the esplanade looking out from the Firth of Forth to the North sea. That is until the near perfect evening was 'shattered' (with a heavy emphasis on the first syllable) as I walked passed the car park toilet rotunda, and felt a fairly hefty blow to my chest from nowhere. By the time I'd looked down to see the massive splat covering around 75% of the front of my brand new jacket, the culprit had literally flown the scene of the crime, so I had no chance of picking it out in any ID parade.

But, given the area of the missile impact, it definitely wasn't a seagull. My money is on a ******* condor!

Robins are so sweet though.

[Diane CBPFC]

Too bad about your jacket Tarqs but at least it didn't happen at arrival. Some people say it is lucky to be $hat on by a condor.

NB - the American Robin is not as sweet as the British robin - but they do still go bob, bob, bobbing looking for worms.