We have been feeding the birds every winter, from October through to the end of April, for some years now. This year we made the decision to feed them throughout the summer months too with one exception, no peanuts. We feed them on a small amount of softened cous-cous, prepared by pouring hot water over the grain and leaving it to absorb, swell and cool, until cold.
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| ©MRL2017 |
Our local woodland
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| ©MRL2017 Our four footed neighbours |
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| ©MRL2017 A fledgling, speckled like a thrush. |
We’ve enjoyed watching the parent birds feeding their young and the odd looking fledglings, who are very different in looks to the adults.
One bird, who feeds on the windowsill, looks like a dark thrush and yet the parent looks like a blackbird complete with a yellow beak.
Is this a young blackbird, I wonder, or is it something different, a cuckoo perhaps ?
Is there an ornithologist or a twitcher reading this blog who could help ?
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| ©MRL2017 Same fellow beak wide open expecting food. |
This summer we have seen more birds than previous years and noticed a lot of different varieties too. Some that we have been able to identify and others that we were unable to put a name to.
I think that the rising temperatures and change of climate may very well have attracted a wider range of species to Ireland.
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| ©MRL2017 |
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| © MRL 2017 Same handsome fledgling |
One photograph that I have never taken is an image of Mrs H feeding and conversing with her feathered friends as I would never disturb those private moments when she communes with nature.
How do you commune with nature ?
