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Nature’s abundances… tuppence a bag John Nash is a retired, well sort of retired, fruit farm manager in Kirdford who enjoys scribbling about life on the farm from the now to days gone by. Hello my Tweet friends, This winter I have found myself financing the fine dining of a whole range of critters that were once a rare sight indeed. The resulting increase in bird seed and peanut purchases has made a distinct dent in the monthly purse. I’m not complaining though, I welcome the visits, but I am amazed at the variety of species that now frequents the bird feeders that hang from a tree that is in close view of the kitchen window. As an example… one morning, at ground level: 14 ducks, two squirrels, an assortment of crows, and a cock pheasant. Up in the tree and on the three feeders, three jays, one spotted woodpecker, another squirrel and a selection of impatient and jittery small garden birds. The ducks have been regulars for several years. They spread their favours between our garden and Sally’s up the road according to how they feel on any particular day. Keep them waiting for what they consider too long, and they get fed up and depart for the other venue in a quacking show of avian petulance. One thing that still puzzles me is the way they always travel from the reservoir to the garden – a distance of some fifty yards or so. They never fly in, instead it’s a waddling mob that noisily pushes through the hedge and onto the lawn. But… they always leave by taking off and flying back to the water. What’s that all about? The other inhabitants of the water to visit us regularly are four moorhens. Now, no matter how hard I try, I just cannot get these little fellows to trust me. The minute I appear they dive into the safety of the hedge, and only reappear once I’m back indoors. One day, maybe, one day! The little feathered fellers are fine. Tits, sparrows, finches, nut hatch, woodpeckers, etc. They feed in quick bursts, scattering a steady stream of seed and nut chips down to the waiting crows who squabble among themselves as they each try to grab the fallen titbits. It’s the bigger and more aggressive and, dare I say, more intelligent ones that cause the larger problem. The squirrels are regulars. They have an instinct for self-preservation, but they seem to know that I have got ‘softer’ with old age. Where I would once have blasted them to that great drey in the sky I now mutter darkly as they tear another hole in the feeder, and then smile as they sit and with those dainty front claws nibble at yet another peanut. Several magpies sneak in if they get a chance, but they still retain their nervousness if a curtain is moved or the sound of
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movement heard. As prime nest robbers, I can’t say I encourage their presence but I guess all critters need to eat! There are a couple of plumped-up wood pigeons who are in constant conflict with the moorhens. The outcome always in favour of the moorhens who may be timid to me, but show a far more aggressive nature where ownership of the falling seed is concerned. The jays are newcomers though. These are truly woodland birds. Secretive and hidden from the guns of man. Egg stealers who will note every nest around the garden for a springtime feast. But, they are such beautiful birds. Now they are gradually losing that longinstilled fear. These three beauties flash their blue show feathers at me and then with beaks like miniature pneumatic drills they proceed to tear at the base of the nut holder until it allows them to remove the nuts whole. (See photo.) They then spend a happy half hour or so alternating between eating and burying their ‘harvest’ around the garden. With the addition of all the squirrels’ buried booty, we would have a whole forest of peanut bushes growing around the garden next year if they could actually grow! On the farm, though, we do feel so fortunate to be surrounded by this bounty of nature with a family of buzzards regularly patrolling the skies and this year the occasional visit of a lone red kite slowly circling the meadows. The rabbit population is gradually recovering from a terrible depletion in numbers over the last few years from myxomatosis, and they are trying to show their appreciation by digging up my over wintering daff bulbs and making preliminary ventures into making new warrens in my flowerbeds. It would appear that digging holes is easier in cultivated soil! Deer do their very best to help by carefully pruning my rose bushes by grazing off the developing flower buds. They seem to have a particular love of these delicacies and I can see war being declared between us if they get too confident. Not to be outdone, and to show they can be just as endearing, last year the sheep succeeded in breaking into my veg patch and helped themselves to my runner bean bed just as the flowers were starting to open, causing a complete replanting to be carried out. Thankfully, though, with our heavy clay soil, moles do seem to be reluctant at the moment to take out a current mortgage application on the lawn… but time will tell if this is a permanent situation or just a blip in nature’s persistence. All in all though, I wouldn’t wish it any other way. The older I get, the more I seem to find an acceptance to all this. It’s mainly collateral damage after all. They give me great pleasure. Well, maybe a little bit of agro at times. Worth it though! John Nash
