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.'
which my boys learnt at school.
"Sea Fever" is very evocative of my childhood, when we had to learn poems off by heart (which I liked doing.
ReplyDeleteAh, how I wish I could sing like that (if I were a man, I suppose).
There have been lots of Fieldfare here and I have loved watching them.
ReplyDeleteI like JofIndia's picture, I wonder if you will take up your old pastime.
I am missing one of the essential ingredients for happiness...
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.
ReplyDeleteOoh, 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.
ReplyDeleteWonderful that you have fieldfare's visiting the garden :D
Toffeeapple - that is a very poignant remark.
ReplyDeleteWe 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.
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty here.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed the return of the varied thrush here.
ReplyDeleteThe blue upon blue photo is wonderful!