visitors in the garden

Caught!...on CCTV garden camera footage...not really,... I just have a terrible zoom facility on my camera - and you know how these little guys scuttle away when they know you've got them in your sights. Here he/she is attacking one of the fat balls I put out for the birds.

My neighbours cat, a large obvious colour male, was sitting at the foot of this tree on the other side of the fence while this was all happening. Do you think Squirrel was bothered? He just shook his tale and looked right at Cat as if to say "c'mon then, just you dare" after which he went back to gnawing the fatball. Cat turned his back as if to say "see if I care..." but you could tell by the look on his face, his Catliness had been offended.

This is the first year I've really seen Squirrel coming regularly into the garden. Mostly they have appeared in the desperate depths of winter, but this year I was able to witness the ritual as he buried all the bird seed I had put out, grain by grain, at various points around the garden. Digging a hole with his snout, the seed was dropped in, covered over with his paws, and then for good measure, if handy, a leaf was popped on top.

...and so I have been observing Squirrel Medicine, and doing some for myself (hence shortage of posts this week), putting out little freelancing seeds for the future, hoping some will take shoot, and trying to remember where I've put everything.

Later, as I was making porridge at the cooker, a female black(brown)bird jumped up on the cill outside the window and gave me a long hard stare. I felt quite honoured, as we are on the 3rd floor and they do tend to keep quite low in the garden. After she had given me her message, she darted off. Then the male blackbird's head popped up from behind where she had been standing. He also looked in and gave me a long stare, and I felt as if I'd been double blessed.

The wonderful alchemical blackbird with its orange-gold beak, and ring around it's eye. All that blackness alchemising to a voice and eye of gold. The creative process.

(one of my favourite albums, here Kate Bush uses the blackbird's song to create a 3-d landscape...enjoy)

Comments

[carolyn]

I get so frustrated trying to take pictures of our bird table, the birds just end up as little dots!

[Sally Anne]

Blackbirds are my favorite birds, I adore them. My resident one at Moenui hopped around me and watched while I gardened on Sunday...like you say a special blessing.
Kate Bush's music was an unexpected treat..thank you, and as for squirrels...they are so wise and industrious!