If it isn't the cats, it's the birds!

[Miles]

I'm happy to report that the last of our snow has melted, and the robins have returned...!  
Now we're going to need some heavy April showers because water levels are low this Spring and they're predicting drought conditions....!

Miles

[Ann]

We've had another lovely day in Whitley Bay, a bit blowy, but nice and sunny. Rita and Lisa, who post as Chalmers Cats were here and Rita was able to feed one of the blackbirds. If you look closely, you can even see the raisin in his beak.



Ann

[Lesley]

ann, great photo!
i can see the raisin in the birds mouth. it is wonderful that they are so tame.
i asked my mother (who knows everything) we do have blackbirds in ontario, but they stay only in the fields.
i have had canada geese come up to me before (in parks) but they would rather take your hand than a raisin!
lesley

[Ann]

Lesley,

It gets even better later on in the spring. First of all you get them all competing to see how many raisins they can hold in their beaks to take back to the nest. After they get up to about 8, they start dropping them and have to start again. Then a little while after that, the proud Dad appears with offspring in tow. The baby (who's as big as Dad at this stage) is parked on the wall and Dad flies back and forwards feeding him.

You can tell which are the youngsters even after they "leave home" as they moult rather drastically before getting their adult coat. The first time I saw one in the middle of moulting I thought he'd had a bad experience with one of the local cats. Feathers were sticking out at all angles. Now I know it's just part of the growing up process, but it looks hilarious.

Ann

[Silk]

Well up here, (16 floors up) we have a diferent problem with the birds.
We caged our balcony off, so it was safe for the cats to out there, and even fitted a cat-flap, but come the first half decent weather the balcony door gets opened so the cats get even easier access.

Anyway, of late the pigeons have been roosting higher and higher and this year they seem to have picked the 16th floor to do it on. (I'm sure they know the cats are there and cant get at them and thus want to wind them up.)

The main two places are to the left of the balcony and to the right of the end bedroom and flying from one to the other, this of course causes all five of the cats to do the same... via the living room....the 40ft run up the hall and into the end bedroom.... and back again.... and again.... and again!!! And of course anything in their path just becomes part of the runway.

From around 9am to 12 noon it can be sheer bedlam, and Ann wonders why I'm not getting much writing done???

[Ann]

Silk,

I can picture this so well. Do you retreat to a safe place for 3 hours whilst it's going on? I can also hear the noise of 5 pairs of paws thundering up and down the hall. Must be deafening!

Ann

[Silk]

Nope I just batten down the hatches and sit it out with gritted teeth, often feel as though I should be wearing old crash helmet, bike leather and guntlets though, but I think that would impair writing even moreso

Today I did want to try some painting instead, but as the end bedroom is my studio, the thought of flying cats over canvas kind of put me off, so as it was so gorgeous outside today went for a wander and sat on a bench wo do some editing the old fashioned way. (ie red pen and sheaths of paper)

[Ann]

Yes, I know enough about your painting to know that you're not trying to emulate Jackson Pollock!

Ann

[Ann]

This is the best clip I've managed to get so far of the blackbird eating out of my hand. It's double speed again, but it still works quite well.

www.annied22.btinternet.co.uk/misc/blackbird.m1v

I'm working on the blackbird in the back patio now. Any day now and I think he'll pluck up the courage to take a raisin out of my hand too.

Ann

[Lesley]

ann, bravo bravo!
more please!

my son jack thought it was most impressive 'bird on tiny tv'.

lesley