Last year started with big plans and high hopes as New Years often do start with, but Life came along, ripped them all up and generally had other ideas . Being in the garden helped us get through some difficult times and three visitors in particular to the garden, were a welcome distraction. Forgive me for showing photos rather than painting the scenes , maybe I will get time to do it this year, they certainly deserve to have their portraits painted!
The Blackbird
I first met the Blackbird one summers day about three years ago when he was in a bit of a sticky situation, being hunted down by a Sparrowhawk, who was hot on his tail. I happened to be standing at the scene, hosepipe in hand, and I instinctively lifted the hosepipe up and accidently doused the poor raptor with a jet of water, which didn't harm her but certainly put her off her stride and she flew away with a cluster of Blackbirds' tail feathers in her talons. It didnt put her off however ,she has been back many times since !
Without his tail feathers the Blackbird was a very sorry sight and would sit on the table by the back door waiting for me to appear. He seemed to regard me as some sort of saviour so I became a Blackbird bodyguard.Over the years he has gone from grateful to downright demanding and now he acts as if the pleasure is all mine, which of course it is. I called him Oliver ( because he always wanted more). Gradually his tail feathers grew back but they are permanently splayed out.
In June I noticed Oliver was coming for food more and more often. He would sit by the window staring in at me at me until I came out and fed him. Then he would stuff as much food as he could into his mouth and fly off only to re-appear moments later . It suddenly clicked -he must be feeding young .
I don't know if male Blackbirds take sole responsibility for bring up baby but this one seemed to be doing just that and as a single Dad ,Oliver was doing an amazing job.
Finally the day came when he brought with him not one, but two of his babies onto the table.
I was honoured he trusted me enough to do that. I know people feed garden birds by hand but Oliver has never been that trusting or tame enough and I'm actually quite glad about that. His reticence and vigilance has kept him alive and protected his young too . Perhaps the run in with Sparrowhowk taught him that. I'm just blessed for the 'cupboard love' connection we do have.
The Hedgehog
I was very relieved that Snuffles the Hedgehog survived his first winter and I was so happy to see him again this year in the twilight moments we share.
I do believe I am a little bit smitten with/by/ of ? him. He had my heart at “ snuffle". He is a Hedgehog with a very dominant personality even as a tiny hoglet when he first arrived, he literally shoved everyone else off the food bowl, even a very large male Hedgehog. And now here he was again, about four times the size he was last year, staying for hours and hours hogging all the food. Occasionally I would go to fill up the dish after he had finally left only to find he’d returned and was looking up at me as if to say to an over eager waiter “ Do you mind, I haven’t finished eating yet” . Snuffles also had a hot date one evening, not that I hung around to watch. Some floozy from next door, not good enough for him really but I'm hoping there are some little Snuffles around somewhere. Five years ago when I started feeding the Hedgehogs I counted 8 hedgehogs coming for dinner , maybe more , now there are only 3 or 4 at the most.
The Cooking Fat
One day a mystery black cat appeared sitting outside my studio. I thought perhaps he was my 'familar' or a deceased ancestor bringing me some good fortune, so I tolerated his presence.
I'm allergic to cats so I couldnt stroke or make a fuss of him but then again he wasnt that friendly either. As the months went by he seemed to intent on eating anything that moved, I saw him nonchalantly bat a butterfly ( one of the few we had this year) as he strutted along. He was proving to be a menace and not even a very lucky black cat either, all things considered. When I cried at the daily death toll , Him Indoors just muttered 'Cooking Fat' under his breath. So that’s what the cat came to be known as.
One evening I was watching Snuffles devouring his snacks, I noticed a dinner queue had formed. There, waiting patiently behind Snuffles sat Cooking Fat !
Obviously Snuffles had put the cat in his place at some point and after a brief exchange "After you -no please, I insist after you!' Snuffles was top dog or top Hedgehog should I say.
Unfortunately now this interloper expects to be fed. So on Christmas Day when I should of been dozing, watching a film, I got waylaid by some Cooking Fat, as you do on Christmas Day, and I’m afraid to say, some Turkey did accidently fall into a dish. I have made a rod for my own back I know and possibly what is worse, put lives in jeopardy. 'Please leave us alone?' I begged, as I fed him but he just hissed at me. There's gratitude !
So here we go into another year let’s hope the inhabitants of the garden get along somehow and we can all get along together. Peace & Goodwill to all 💫
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