My Neighbour Mr Robin

It started off with my putting bread out on the windowsill after breakfast for the birds, especially when the squirrel destroyed yet another bird feeder. Since then, even though I have replaced the seed feeder, a couple of beautiful robins still visit my windowsill and come right up to the window and look through into the room. I'm sure they have worked out that if I see them I usually go and cut up some bread or put out some seed on the sill.
The bread is of course seeded wholemeal nicely coated with peanut butter, which reminds me I have to go to the shops. I thought I was training birds to trust me but it seems they are training me.

Here's a little treat. I took this video at the David Byrne concert held in Liverpool on the 3rd of April. I enjoyed the concert immensely and the two hours just flew by, we wanted more. I was sitting right on the front row so it was not too difficult to set the camera up, on my knee, but I concentrated more on being there, than trying to get a great video, hence the wobbles.

Another Blackbird Song

Another little snippet of the Blackbirds song. this time with the waveform. I think I'll make another video soon with slightly different editing of the .WAV file. This Blogger video does not seem to be loading very well, it is only a small file so this should not happen. I may try an alternative method.
Stay tuned.

The Blackbird Sings

I've mentioned before how it is a great occasion for me to hear the Blackbird resume singing for the first time in the year. This usually happens in February or March in the North West of England where I do be. It's like the first Snowdrop flowers appearing at the end of Winter or the first buds of blossom at the beginning of Spring.

I haven't any "proper" sound recording equipment so I've been using my little Panasonic camcorder to record any interesting sound and extracting the audio from the resulting video file. That is what I have done with this recording made this evening (Wednesday March 4th) Here is the Blackbird Song in an MP3 format (3.6MB) I may make a Flash video of it showing the waveform display, if I can figure out how to do it.

Over the years I've noticed that the song develops as the year progresses. From a stuttering, though still beautiful, collection of doublets, triplets and assorted calls to a full bodied fully formed song.
The Blackbird will listen to other male Blackbirds and copy a segment of that birds song if it likes it, and incorporate that into its own song. I've heard them practice and develop little riffs over the course of Spring and Summer. Just think of that for a few moments, the little fellah sits there on his favourite perch checking out his rivals song. There must be a process in his mind that critically analyses the song and then goes "Oooo, I like that, I can work with that". He then weaves it into his own song and hopefully attracts a female with his artistry. So in this way the female too has a say as to what is deemed to be a "good" song.

I've been playing around with Windows Movie Maker after finding one of my favoured videos has gone missing from utube. This is the result.
I'm hoping I am not breaking any copyright by publishing this. There are hundreds of similar videos on utube and the like which do not appear to have fallen foul of the law. Still I think I'll investigate more. We don't want to be breaking laws now do we.

Blackbirds singing

Just a little note to say I've noticed the Blackbirds have just started singing again. I've heard the odd Blackbird throw out a few notes here and there over the past few weeks, but it was just today in my Mam's garden that I heard a couple singing to each other. Actually I think they were singing at each other.
Beautiful time of year, so much happening, nothing stands still, as if anything ever did.

The first flowers to show in the park

I noticed these lovely crocus this morning while cycling through the park. They always make me think of springtime so I had to stop and take a photo for posterity and for George and Mabel.

Bro' Robin pops by to say hello

This little fellow has been visiting my window-ledge for a couple of months now, which I of course encourage. To-day he's been very busy chasing rival birds especially Robins from his territory.
After a particularly ferocious battle with another Robin he spent a few minutes just sitting on the window ledge recovering. I sit just a couple of feet away on this side of the window, sitting very still watching. During this time he resumed eating but not before he had a good look through the window watching me. I think he was perhaps suggesting I put out some more mealworms for him, alas I had none.
I'm fairly sure he has a mate now, she very rarely stays for more than a second, grabbing some food then flying off. I don't think she trusts humans, which makes her a very wise little bird in my estimation.
There is a very definite pecking order amongst the birds visiting my feeders. Top of the heap is the Great Spotted Woodpecker who will chase every bird who tries to share the feeder. Next is probably the Nuthatch who also will not tolerate any other bird trying to share the same feeder. The Great Tit, Blue Tit and Coal Tit follow, in that order, bro' Robin rarely uses the peanut feeder. So when I saw the Nuthatch land on the window-ledge while our Robin was resting there, I thought the poor Robin was going to get chased. He was having none of it, he held his ground and was not at all intimidated by the Nuthatches posturing. So the two of them stayed there a couple of inches apart in some sort of stand-off while I grabbed the camera to record it. Needless to say by the time I got my camera set up "this bird had flown" .

What a wonderful feeling it is to have a wild bird trust you enough to eat out of your hand.
I travel through Sefton Park often and usually take some food with me for the birds and the squirrels. As I was feeding a few grey squirrels I noticed a few Blue Tits perching nearby showing a great interest in what I was doing so I took a chance to see if they would eat out of my hand. I was fortunate enough to have my camera in my other hand, just in case, and I was delighted when this little Blue Tit graced me with his company.
Bird activity has increased tremendously over the past few weeks as they have started to mark out territories and seek mates. I have seen Tits, Blackbirds and Collard Doves getting material with which to build nests too. I am sure they have some recognition of the people they decide to trust. A couple I see in the Park often, feeding the birds, have had the birds actually sitting in their hand eating rather than just swooping in and then flying away.
Thank you little one for bringing so much joy into my life.

Lark Lane
Music composed by Bernard Herrmann
from the film "Taxi Driver"

ASDA Thwarts Possible Suicide Attempt

Like many people I know over the past month or two, both my Mother and I caught rather nasty colds last week. Our preferred non prescription medicine to help alleviate the symptoms over the years has been "Lemsip". As the weather has been bitterly cold the past couple of weeks and the store is relatively far away from us, as I travel by cycle and carry the shopping in a rucksack on my back while cycling, I decided to buy two packets of "Lemsip".

"Oh dear!" Exclaimed the nice young lady at the checkout. I'm afraid I can only let you have one packet. Noticing the look of puzzlement spreading across my face she added, "it's because it contains, erm, paracetamol." "And that means" I asked, in the hope of some enlightenment. "Well, it's just that, company policy, we've been told." "Ah! I interjected, do you mean in case of possible overdose?" "Yes" she replied, smile beaming, it's against the law. "Do you get many cases of suicide by Lemsip" I wondered out loud. "I'm not sure" she replied hesitantly, then, as if a switch had been flicked, her lovely smile returned, "would you like a hand packing?"

For those suffering from what appears to me to be a Cold or Flu pandemic, here's my patented 99.4% guaranteed remedy.

For a drink, mix one or two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with hot water that has boiled and cooled. Add honey to taste. Either just before, after or during the drink eat a clove of garlic. I like to peel a clove and keep it on my tongue for a few minutes before slowly nibbling into it, taking the occasional sip of the mixture. If the garlic burns, so much the better it will only last a few seconds. Repeat at least twice a day and perhaps an extra clove or two of garlic to be eaten during the day as well. Your "innereds" will love you for it.
Personally, I also find laying down in a darken room and moaning gently with head in hands a slight comfort too.

Notes to Self

I've a couple of photos to upload of a Collared Dove's egg that I found a couple of days ago in the garden. It was broken but still fresh and this alerted me to watch the pair who visit my garden frequently. They are collecting nesting material and are well into their courtship rituals.

The blackbirds are also changing their behaviour. They are playing that game of "chase me" with each other I see every year. The males still chase each other away but I have a definite feeling there is some pairing up going on between the sexes.
♫ I also heard a Blackbird singing the other day too, all by himself in a tree next to a very busy road leading to a huge retail outlet. It's by far the earliest I've heard a Blackbird sing ♫

I feed the birds regularly with wholemeal bread and peanut butter, cut into small squares and an apple quartered. The Blackbirds love the apples and the Sparrows and Robins sit on the fence every morning waiting for me to deliver their food.

They all know Spring is not too far away, they told me so.