Wild West Yorkshire nature diary, Saturday 22nd May 1999
A SONG THRUSH repeatedly tries to get to the Robin brood in the old teapot. We rush to the back door but the Robin has no difficulty seeing off the larger bird. The chicks have grown to fill the opening. They have yellow bills and horned eyebrows, cute isn't quite the description that comes to mind. But their parents are very dedicated.
The effort is beginning to tell on the adult Robins - their plumage now looks worn and washed out. Most Blue tits and Great tits also now look faded.
'White-tail' our resident Blackbird also chases the Song Thrush, which is feeding at the edge of the lawn. The parent blackbirds are constantly shuttling to and from the nest in the hawthorn hedge.
We find Fox droppings on the bean bed. The garden fleece cloche is working well and the transplanted beans look quite healthy, protected from strong, drying winds. Every one of the early Potatoes, a variety called Winston, have taken. I planted them through slits cut in an offcut of pond liner, left over from last year's refurbishment of the garden pond.
A Wren acts like a treecreeper, rapidly climbing up the post that supports the bird table as part of a lightning zig-zag forage of the herb bed and ivy-covered shed.
A SONG THRUSH repeatedly tries to get to the Robin brood in the old teapot. We rush to the back door but the Robin has no difficulty seeing off the larger bird. The chicks have grown to fill the opening. They have yellow bills and horned eyebrows, cute isn't quite the description that comes to mind. But their parents are very dedicated.
The effort is beginning to tell on the adult Robins - their plumage now looks worn and washed out. Most Blue tits and Great tits also now look faded.
'White-tail' our resident Blackbird also chases the Song Thrush, which is feeding at the edge of the lawn. The parent blackbirds are constantly shuttling to and from the nest in the hawthorn hedge.
We find Fox droppings on the bean bed. The garden fleece cloche is working well and the transplanted beans look quite healthy, protected from strong, drying winds. Every one of the early Potatoes, a variety called Winston, have taken. I planted them through slits cut in an offcut of pond liner, left over from last year's refurbishment of the garden pond.
A Wren acts like a treecreeper, rapidly climbing up the post that supports the bird table as part of a lightning zig-zag forage of the herb bed and ivy-covered shed.