Monday 13 February 2012

Gleanings


I was so pleased to see a pair of these
busy in our garden.
Too busy for me to catch on camera,
so this image is from the RSPB website.
A first sighting for me, they look like a patchwork bird.
As I tried to identify them, flitting at some distance,
in and out of view,
 I thought Thrush?
Huge sparrow? Redwing? Cuckoo?
But they are Fieldfares and apparently they visit town gardens
during a severe winter when the countryside is under snow.
They were feeding on our pyracantha berries.


JofIndia posted this picture 
taken in the Wayanad hills, Kerala.
I used to make, and sometimes sell,
pictures using layers of tissue paper,
a technique called marouflage,
although I think that originally referred to canvas stuck to walls.
This picture made me want to pick it up again.


And finally this:

'The grand essentials of happiness are 
something to do
something to love
and something to hope for.'

Left by Belinda here, and a reminder of this song,
which my boys learnt at school.


8 comments:

  1. "Sea Fever" is very evocative of my childhood, when we had to learn poems off by heart (which I liked doing.
    Ah, how I wish I could sing like that (if I were a man, I suppose).

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  2. There have been lots of Fieldfare here and I have loved watching them.

    I like JofIndia's picture, I wonder if you will take up your old pastime.

    I am missing one of the essential ingredients for happiness...

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  3. I've always admired that line, "when the long trick is over". I hope to turn to it when I'm 90, having had a goodly share of the grand essentials.

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  4. Ooh, I learnt that at school too, but Masefield's poem rather than the song. I used to know it by heart from start to finish but sadly not any more.

    Wonderful that you have fieldfare's visiting the garden :D

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  5. Toffeeapple - that is a very poignant remark.

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  6. We have had flocks of fieldfares and redwings in the garden eating the apples I left out for the blackbirds - they have stripped off every berry in the garden too.

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  7. I have enjoyed the return of the varied thrush here.
    The blue upon blue photo is wonderful!

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