Friday, December 02, 2005
NATURE RAMBLING
For the past two days, I've seen a song thrush in our garden.
"Oh, so what?" sez the reader.
Well, I'll have you know that the song thrush is an increasingly rare sight these days - a combination of changes in the environment has meant that its normal food preferences are no longer so readily available. I have a theory that this population fall has also coincided with the increasing number of blackbirds, which are slightly bigger and more aggressive and, having similar eating habits, tend to elbow song thrushes out of their territory.
The best thing about the song thrush, though, is its song, predictably enough. It sings all year round , unlike the blackbird, and is best heard at this time of year in the morning, preferably as the sun is trying to break through the clouds on a misty day for added atmospherics. Or at dusk, when very little is visible through fog and you feel as though you are in some sort of vortex (although *that's probably just me*).
Its song has a spooky, otherworldy, spirit-of-the-woods quality reminiscent of the first Cocteau Twins album (particularly the track The Hollow Men, although *that's probably just me*).
There's one particular tree in Greenwich Park where a song thrush seems to offer up a few melodies whenever I'm there. I usually insist on us standing near there for a few minutes for a good listen, thus meaning that we look like a right pair of fools.
I'm thinking of blogging about more garden bird nonsense in the next few days: fun for me, mind boggling for you.
Alright, you can stop looking at me like that now. Move along, both of you.
"Oh, so what?" sez the reader.
Well, I'll have you know that the song thrush is an increasingly rare sight these days - a combination of changes in the environment has meant that its normal food preferences are no longer so readily available. I have a theory that this population fall has also coincided with the increasing number of blackbirds, which are slightly bigger and more aggressive and, having similar eating habits, tend to elbow song thrushes out of their territory.
The best thing about the song thrush, though, is its song, predictably enough. It sings all year round , unlike the blackbird, and is best heard at this time of year in the morning, preferably as the sun is trying to break through the clouds on a misty day for added atmospherics. Or at dusk, when very little is visible through fog and you feel as though you are in some sort of vortex (although *that's probably just me*).
Its song has a spooky, otherworldy, spirit-of-the-woods quality reminiscent of the first Cocteau Twins album (particularly the track The Hollow Men, although *that's probably just me*).
There's one particular tree in Greenwich Park where a song thrush seems to offer up a few melodies whenever I'm there. I usually insist on us standing near there for a few minutes for a good listen, thus meaning that we look like a right pair of fools.
I'm thinking of blogging about more garden bird nonsense in the next few days: fun for me, mind boggling for you.
Alright, you can stop looking at me like that now. Move along, both of you.
Comments:
how lovely, don't think I've ever had a song thrush in my current garden and even if I had it would have probably been drowned out by the traffic and starlings.
Are you encoraging it to stay?
Are you encoraging it to stay?
Well Jane, as the garden is a bit of a mess, needs a good tidy up and is a bit muddy from all the rain (encouraging slugs and the like), I think it ought to get the song thrush seal of approval, plus I put out various kinds of bird food. Birds are a bit unpredictable and seem to take ages to feel it's safe enough to eat food left out for them, so we shall see.
hi betty...can I get you to change the link to me in your sidebar/blogroll to http://aginoth.blogspot.com/
I had to delete my other blog (trapped in the body of a civil servant)...long story
I had to delete my other blog (trapped in the body of a civil servant)...long story
Aaargg, don't remind me - tomorrow lunchtime is when I have to go for yet another family birthday do. I have arranged some sort of burgundy and brown outfit but no doubt I won't be able to do a thing with my hair and will run out of conversation after two minutes.
I shall probably take a flask of sloe gin with me which might help me to get through it. Thanks for the tip.
It is that tree down some sort of hill, anyway. I'm not very good with trees, or hills.
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I shall probably take a flask of sloe gin with me which might help me to get through it. Thanks for the tip.
It is that tree down some sort of hill, anyway. I'm not very good with trees, or hills.
