Our friendly neighbour has been back…
He turns out to be particularly partial to small pieces of raisin.
If you ever want to invite a robin round to tea, I can guarantee that raisins will be a welcome accompaniment.
Category Archives: Animals
Leaping Tilly 3
I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that, as she approaches her 11th birthday, Tilly is still enjoying her favourite pastime.
She was doing much the same thing 9 years ago and 6 years ago. Different fields, different crops, but clearly intended for the same activity.
Persistent Visitor
We have a friend who keeps coming to visit, despite the lockdown…
He does maintain appropriate social distancing while here, though.
Helps himself to food…
Always politely interested in the conversation.
“What’s the time, Mr Wolf?”
Generally a very pleasant companion.
Pigeonhole
At the Drop Redoubt fortifications on Dover Western Heights
Nibble
Ah, so here’s why my shiny new lawnmower isn’t getting as much use as it might…
Our spaniel is sitting looking out of the patio door, and positively quivering with excitement…
Oh Deer
Spotted this morning just behind my in-laws’ house in Michigan.
Swing Low
The song of most small birds just sounds like a stream of tweets and whistles to us, but if you slow them down, you can get a wonderful feel for what’s going on.
Here’s a nice compilation of lots of them. I like the little wren at the beginning, the (rather quiet) skylark at about 17:57 has a nice rhythm when slowed down, and the song thrush that follows him is quite fun. If other birds can pick out these details, you can imagine there might be quite a lot of communication going on.
The real star, however, is the Veery Thrush, whom you can hear in this slowed-down clip. He’s the subject of the rather fun New Scientist article, which was what first caught my attention.
Now, I wonder if you sped up a clip of cows mooing, you could get a similar effect?
An unusual four-wheeled electric vehicle
What better way to carry a bicycle than in another bicycle?
A few months ago, I enthused about the electric cargo bike that I had tried out at a local shop. Being without a car for a little while, I started looking at them with more interest, and I discovered that the awfully nice people at Outspoken could actually rent me one for a few days. But they’re on the far side of Cambridge, so I cycled out there on my Brompton and came back with it in the front. It all worked beautifully, but I couldn’t help thinking about The Royal Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things…
Someone who wasn’t quite so sure about the whole idea was my spaniel Tilly, but once she settled down, it was a great way to transport her to one of her favourite walking spots, about 3 or 4 miles away, against a strong headwind, and bring her back afterwards.
(The rattling noise is the little bench seat for children, which I’d folded back for this trip.)
Accessorize
This rather pretty sheep was wearing her new Christmas jewellery to breakfast.
The fens are alive with the sound of moosic
Yesterday we attended a rehearsal of the famous Grantchester Bovine Acapella Trio.
Actually, they were trying to reach this particularly tasty tree which was growing just a bit too far out over the river.
An interest in cycling
I left my bike parked by a fence while walking Tilly this morning. When I came back, I found some very interested onlookers.
They watched with interest as I unlocked it and then we started a gentle shuffle to get the bike out. (The photos don’t show the next row of spectators behind – another half-dozen or so.)
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