Photography had to be abandoned this morning as biting insects once more targeted my neck.
According to an article I read, insects prefer people with blood type O, which I am. As a child in SE Asia, I was eaten alive, though fortunately this was only when I had newly arrived. It was torture.
Itching, I think, is almost worse than pain!
Dandelions quickly achieved their seed form, but these pretty ranunculus have taken over to give colour to the meadows.
Our “grass man” goes thundering around on his huge machine and mows them all down, so I dug some up and put them in a flower bed where they thrive.
During my brief sortie I noted spirea was blooming…
…and the milkweed is showing buds already.
Dee Dee missed breakfast this morning and we didn’t even notice! She had shot into a spare room and wouldn’t come out, so I did warn her!
It’s a sign of how disordered things have become and it’s their fault for running us around as they do.
They play swap with their bowls as we dish them out, so we get confused as to who has and who hasn’t been offered one.
Dee Dee swaps and re-swaps. Who can keep up?
As I fled from bugs this morning, Grant asked me if I had seen her. She tends to go for long walks.
Then he remembered I had told him she was in that closed room…oh dear. Without breakfast! It’s a wonder she didn’t howl.
She was too busy knocking things down.
Yesterday’s oversight was much worse.
When I got home from my solo drive to Greenwich, I saw an orange cat out on the patio.
“Oh, who’s that?” I wondered….
Not for long. It was poor Toby who had been outside for a couple of hours.
Grant always rounds up his walkers but clearly his mind was elsewhere yesterday!
Toby looked quite dejected.
A couple of days ago I was thrilled to see a Flicker on the path in front of the house.
A really magnificent bird.
“Go on, you think we’re all magnificent!”
Yes, yes I do.
Pigeons take me back to my childhood when we used to feed them in Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar Square was a favourite because of the Landseer lions.
For a long time, I’ve been trying to photograph this cheeky chap:
Crows are also mind-readers and these birds seem able to do it long distance. This one was up a tree, but they always seem to know when a lens is pointed at them.
He dove off just as I clicked.
Lately we seem to have a pair of crows attached to us.They watch closely and know exactly when we go out to replenish food stations.
They are also interested in this flowerbed.
What I’ve found is that if the crow can’t see me, it doesn’t fly off so soon.
Though I suspect they feel my eyes.
I got these by perching the camera on top of my PC while hiding behind it.
Before too long he strode off into the grass
…and sashayed down the driveway.
Part of my fondness for crows is that I always thought my cat Panther was a reincarnated corvid.
He had crow attitude. And his little bent feet gave him the same strut.
One of the bronze lions that has been guarding Nelson’s column for over 150 years.
These days it is a criminal offense to feed pigeons.
Until 2001, there had actually been bird feed vendors in Trafalgar Square.
Carolyn, you are just magnificent! I feed pigeons and everyone else. Thank you, I can now retire happy after my treat!
Joanna
Oh yes, something good is happening in your garden, love those tiny flowers! Poor Toby … will he dare to go out for long walks again? Lovely birdie pictures – I just don’t know how you do that, I struggle to take photo’s of even a big bird (like a duck or goose) on the ground!
I have never heard of a Flicker bird, very impressive.
Fond memories of holding my hands out full of bird seed in Trafalgar Square.
Best wishes, Pete.