I lifted my head when a bird song which had been going round my head suddenly made itself heard. Flipping back my fringe - it is getting too long, I listened again. I was on all fours laying a pathway through the dahlia bed - as you do....
I'd been so engrossed with my fingers in the soil, placing slabs in a winding path when I heard, but not listened to the twittering.
With my neck twisted up, craning it to see if I could track who was singing in the bare sycamore trees behind the glasshouse. I knew the song - the churr and chirrup belonged to one of my favourite birds. The Long Tailed Tit - the 'flying teaspoon'. My eyes flitted across the branches and suddenly I caught their movement. A family cluster of may be eight or ten birds tripping through the twigs hunting for insects.
Like a cat I watched their every move until they came to the edge of the trees and swooped off in a twittery churring wave - gone.
Back to work.
Oh, and the painting I did the other day? Another of my favourites - the Curlew.
Watching birds is great. It takes one out of the realities of the world to a peaceful place, sometimes for mere seconds but those are great seconds. Love that curlew.
ReplyDeleteBird watching is definitely the perfect escapism - certainly helps soften reality x
DeleteThe Flying Teaspoon..a lovely name for them..and always Safety in Numbers!!
ReplyDeleteThey have other equally cute nicknames - Bumbarrel, the flying lollipop, long tailed pie!
DeleteWonderful Curlew painting. only seen one once but the Long Tails are a treat when they all arrive on the feeder, sadly that's a rare occurrence in my small garden now
ReplyDeletethank you :)
DeleteWe listen for the Curlews returning to the moors after their winter residency on the coast
The LTTs are such amusing birds; I've heard them described as flying lollipops.... They do visit our garden but they don't loiter! I thought I might have heard a curlew call the other day but it was only the start of the call so I can't be sure. Your sketch is wonderful. x
ReplyDeleteI love that they have so many names. You could have heard a Curlew, I did about a week ago - a singular trill but it has to start somewhere 😊
DeleteI was out in the garden the other day and I had Merlin open on my iPad; one of the birds it 'heard' was a curlew! As you say just a hint of its call but a joy to know they are back. x
Deleteit is a joy indeed!
DeleteI have not heard 'flying teaspoon' before. Here they are "flying lillipops" and I am fortunate to have a small flock visit at least once a week (or maybe they come every day at times when I am not looking out the window?)
ReplyDeleteThey are adorable creatures, I loved reading that the family group sleeps in a line perche along a branch and during the night the two birds on the end of the row move into the middle to warm up and they rotate like that until morning so that no pair get too cold. Aww, bless . . .
I also love when they all squish up together to keep warm 🧡they must endear themselves to many folk as there are such a variety of nicknames through out the UK for them
DeleteYour Curlew is just gorgeous. Well done & not sure whether we get them here or not. Sorry I've not commented at different times, but I do read. Take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank Susan, I don't think (I could be wrong) that Curlew are native to Australasia however they apparently do use it as a stop on a migratory route🙂
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