The Ungardener loves Ungardening, pottering, DIY projects. If not a new one, then tweak the old.
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| Turning, colour and around, at the bird feeder |
The sparrows and weavers are pissed of. They have had table reservations booked months ahead, and NOW, now, the restaurant is closed for refurbishment. Not just closed, they have taken the whole thing away.
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| Haven't even got room for my elbows! |
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| This is getting ridiculous! Stop laughing at me. |
The birds look like harassed commuters at the Railway Buffet. There is a coffee shop. Please wait to be seated. That bloody woman has her laptop and papers spread over a table for FOUR! My table, I think?
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| With a male Cape Weaver in full fig |
There is also a tiny tearoom Spirulino's. Those standing glare at those sitting, who are frantically shoving in their croissants. Crumbs everywhere. Puddles of spilt tea on the counter. And they’ve run out of lemon meringue pie.
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| Is that our table? |
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| Please wait to be seated |
In first class, the attire is formal. The human eye sees what it expects to, what it wants to. I often see this bird as I come out of the kitchen onto the back verandah. Short sighted as I am, I see a smart black and white bird, and think fiscal shrike. Then I really look at the bird. And see, not a thug in mountain boots. Built like a gravedigger. But a delicate graceful ethereal ballet dancer. Not the vicious butcher’s hook, but the lighter beak of an insect catcher. Fiscal yes, but not a shrike, a flycatcher. I think there was a Junior with them, but he only captured ma and pa.
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| Female fiscal flycatcher |
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| Male fiscal flycatcher |
Pictures by Jurg
words by Diana of Elephant's Eye
- wildlife gardening in Porterville,
near Cape Town in South Africa
(If you mouse over brown text,
it turns shriek pink. Those are my links.)
Hehe, I LOVE this post! Had a giggle and love the photographs. :)
ReplyDeleteBirds are great...no matter what size or color....I'm just glad to have them around in the garden. I love how they all pile around the bird feeder.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. I can just imagine your birds passing these comments. I see mine giving me the evil eye when I have forgotten to refill.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana
ReplyDeleteCute birds! It's interesting how different species across continents share attributes when in similar ecological niches. We have our sparrows, black-capped chickadees, and American goldfinches engaging in similar antics.
Also a fun survey--I voted a while ago. I do like to write and let off steam! ;)
Ecological Gardening
Your fiscal flycatcher looks so much like our loggerhead shrike!
ReplyDeleteJane x
hehehe! I love it, what a fun post to read! You captured some great shots too, birds can be tricky to snap a pic of but it looks like you have some real posers there ;) Oh how I do love bird posts..thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI love watching birds crowd around the feeders - they are so entertaining as is your post!
ReplyDeleteI loved the bird commentary! Great photos. I go nuts when I see that many birds at a feeder or birdbath.
ReplyDeleteYou've really captured some wonderful expressions! The third shot down is priceless!
ReplyDeleteFunny 'harassed commuters ' so true. Loving your selection of birds and the feeders are very cool.
ReplyDeleteSuper pics as usual.
I'm quite new to blogging,, I started as an art blog,, (I paint,) but it quickly turned into a all of the above blog,, just happened.I have no garden anymore but gardened in a big way all my life until 7 years ago,, now I garden through your photos,, I thankyou for that!
ReplyDeleteDiana, Today I visited the Pineland Farms garden with Carolyn (from Carolyn's Shade Gardens) and we saw a whole row of fledgling swallows perched on top of the netting over the blueberries just waiting for an opening to get a table inside. :-) -Jean
ReplyDeleteDiana, you had me laughing a lot reading this post!!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day,
Elke
Great pics, great commentary, so funny. Don't know if I answered your why I blog Q...I blog because I like it, to share my lifestyle with others and perhaps encourage others to live in an earth friendly way, to link up with other bloggers and finally I suppose it's a way of expressing my views on things that matter to me and hopefully others.
ReplyDeleteI have ads on my blog and I do get paid to put them there but I couldn't say I'm earning a living from them though. (I wouldn't be able to eat very much!) If I could though, I would - though that's not why I started blogging - and the presence of adverts hasn't changed the content or style. The only difference it has made is that I feel bound to post. I can't decide to take a few months off. Advertisers pay for their spots in advance.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a bird in a cafe, I think I'd be a Grey Heron (even though I am neither tall nor grey). I identify with them though because they take a lot of room (and I like space) always stand off to the side, seem to see the distance and their own thoughts but not the middle ground - and as soon as you start to look at them, they fly (inelegantly) away.
Lucy
Bridget - we 'rant' together in favour of living green, and against fracking, in Ireland or the Karoo.
ReplyDeleteLucy - thank you. I read bloggers for nurseries, and garden equipment, and landscaping services, or who sell their photos and crafts and artworks on Etsy or 'my other blog'. Times are changing, it is a now way to advertise, earn money, and the few do earn a living!
loved the photos of the cute birdies, and laughed at the commentary - that is a great restaurant service you offer.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that is one noisy restaurant
ReplyDeleteO, yes, that is a softer bird, a real cutie. I enjoyed all your birds, lovely candid shots!
ReplyDeleteI am off to visit your archives as I suddenly realised how little I know about aloes!
Love it -- I love birds almost as much as our roses, and they are an integral part of our garden. I so enjoyed your little ones - especially the comments LOL!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures of the lovely birds...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, Diana. I would also like to have birds in my garden. For this purpose, I requested a book called: How to attract birds to your garden. While here, we do not have the luck to see so much diversity, not so quantity. We welcome this and know how to capture images as well.
ReplyDeleteLovely, fun narrative for these shots Diana - hate to miss lemon meringue pie too. Look forward to the new restaurant but hope it's not a chain
ReplyDeleteLoved the shots of your garden birds, especially the fiscal flycatcher
ReplyDeleteLaura Patiopatch - not a chain, just from pillar to post. Will be moving along a little, so it no longer stands between my Adirondack and our Elephant ;~)
ReplyDeleteGreat commentary, loved the photos and the words.
ReplyDeleteJen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I enjoyed your humor in the birds conversation. But I have to wonder if they really are not saying some of this stuff. Today a robin dive bombed me as I was cleaning out the birdbath that he was in only a minute before. He actually grabbed some hair in the flyby as he bounce off my head. I was stunned. It was as if he was telling me he was not finished bathing when I interrupted his bath, and this was my cue to get lost.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your digital aviary. Obviously the birds didn't think that home improvement was called for. As far as blogging and the big-B Blogger, it'll be interesting to see how things change as Google retires the brand...
ReplyDeleteLove the many eating establishments in your neighbourhood. A bit crowded though. Perhaps the service is just that good? In response to the questionnaire, although I have ads I don't feel I can claim to earn money. The ads have been there several months now and I've earned less than $2 in that time. Makes me rethink having them.
ReplyDeleteFunny post! And I love the birds. I think I blog for many reasons, but to share is probably at the top of the list.
ReplyDeleteGreat portraits of your birds Diana and your prose is as always crafted with wit . . . a joy to read.
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party, but I laughed aloud at this post when I first read it a couple of days ago (and again today, of course!). The photo of the sparrow struggling to get its balance is hysterical!
ReplyDelete