Saturday, 19 February 2022

Bird Watching

 


This is a little sketch of Mollie at my neighbours bird feeder, she spends several hours here most mornings waiting for something to land in her lap, which it never does.  We get a lot of jay, blue tit, coal tit, dunnock, robin and wood pigeon.



I have put some hanging feeders up in my own garden in areas Mollie can't reach.  So far the birds haven't shown any interest.



Storm Eunice came and went, the woods protected us, the trees provided a shield to our little house.    We are near an airport where the flights had trouble landing and there were cancellations and diversions.   

Here's the view from my bedroom window.  We were lucky no storm damage, trees are still standing... I hope you were not impacted by the storm.





27 comments:

  1. I love your Mollie painting. We only have barn kitties so there's nothing here to bother the birds except maybe an occasional hawk.

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    1. Fabulous to have a hawk - I would love to see the barn kitties :) Mollie had kittens, we waited for her to have them and when they were homed we took her, we have never had a kitten.

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  2. Well that's a nice intact fence Betty, you did fare well! Isn't Mollie adorable. She looks like Jiji from 'Kiki's Delivery Service'. Oh I just love your bird feeder and cat watercolour. Don't tell Mollie, but I think the birds know she's there ;) xXx

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    1. No free tents in my garden Lulu, you did well to get one land at your gate. I haven't seen Kiki's - will take a look :)

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  3. I bet your cat like also watching the bird feeder.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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    1. She likes to watch next door's cat catching birds, Mollie is passive and afraid of most things, she gets the occasional mouse.

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  4. I love your paintings, Betty! I have a hanging birdfeeder on my balcony that is visited by tits. Such a joy to watch because I live in a town with buildings all around me. Eunice hit my country as well but I was safe.

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    1. It's lovely that you feed the birds Judy, it's so rewarding, maybe I should buy my next house with a balcony - it could save a lot of cat issues!

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  5. Mollie siting thinking Feathered Food!!
    The last storm missed us, but we still have a weather warning for wind today

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    1. Thanks for stopping by GZ, I hope you stay safe.

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  6. We dont have a cat under the feeders, but we do have a pheasant visitng every day!
    Lovely watercolour, Betty.

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    1. lol we had a pet pheasant when I was a child, my dad found it stunned on the road and took it home for dinner but as it made a meraculous recovery, Mertyl became much loved and cared for!

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  7. Mollie is a beautiful cat. I'm glad you faired fine in the storm.

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    1. We are very lucky to have Mollie, Sam. Our Amber had passed away and we were asked if we would take Mollie after she had birthed and weened her kittens, it meant there was time to get used to the idea, she's not your average cat, she is defensive aggressive/very nervous and yet we have such a beautiful little creature here, she will blossom in the next few years.

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  8. That's a lovely painting. Sadly the pigeons have taken control of our bird table, we have had to hide some small feeders in a tree for the little birds.

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  9. Your sketch is just charming! And I"m so glad you didn't have damage from Eunice. (It took the birds awhile to discover my feeders, too. They do.)

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    1. Hello Jeanie, I think those poor birds are so careful and cautious it must take huge willpower not to devour the food but to watch for predators for so long.

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  10. I love your painting! Reminds me of the neighbors cats watching activity at our feeders.

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    1. Thank you Rose, cats have so much patience don't you think? how they sit there for hours on end without blinking beats me!

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  11. Hello Betty, :=) Mollie looks beautiful on her bed. She is a beautiful kitty. Cats do catch birds, rarely eat them, but kill them, play with them, and then take them home to Mama!:=) It's in there nature so you are wise to put your feeders in places she can't reach. I wish I had Dunnock visiting my garden, I have all the other birds you mention, but not the Dunnock, and it's a bird I particularly like. I'm so glad you escaped the fury of storm Eunice.
    My best wishes from Portugal.

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    1. I do despair with the bird killing thing although Mollie doesn't get them, it's our neighbour's cat that does - Mollie is a passive observer.

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  12. We had some unusual little black and white birds with long tails come to the feeders on Saturday. Never seen them here before but they didn't hang around long enough to take a pic. I love your bird paintings. Molly's face looks softer somehow. Mellow Molly. Have a good birthday week, Betty. xoxoxo

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    1. wagtails or swifts? yes, Mollie is getting gentler, she will sit next to me now and touches my nose with hers first thing in the morning, progress (only taken 14 months!) still a long way to go with her, she's loopy

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  13. That's a gorgeous photo of Molly and your artwork is beautiful. I can just visualise her looking expectantly at the bird table and doing that quivery thing with her face!
    How funny that you describe your trees as shielding you from the storm whereas we see ours as malevolent things, swaying ominously and threatening to take us out! xxx

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    1. I hadn't thought about it but you're right, I do think trees are very alive and receptive to us - I'm a 100% tree hugger :)

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  14. I love your painting of Mollie eyeing up dinner? Or just watching every hopeful maybe? I love that your trees protected you from the storm. They are amazing trees aren't they, I really want to read the book Finding the Mother Tree which sounds like a fascinating read, waiting for it to come out in paperback before I do.

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