Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
A Glimpse of Gold and a Flash of Brown
by admin - 21:47 on 27 April 2010
Two exciting visitors were glimpsed in The Rural Retreat's garden this morning: the first goldfinches we've seen here, tucking into the free food we so generously provide for the neighbourhood's feathered residents.
One was spotted on the feeder close to the living room window but flew to the more distant apple tree before the Pentax could be brought into play. A second, maybe its mate, was already there, making inroads into the peanut feeder.
I should have hung around, in the hope they'd return to the feeder best placed for snapping small birds, but I was already late in setting off for another stimulating day's toil for the Great Northern Media Empire, so I left them to it. I'm just too conscientious.
There was no sign of them all evening, which was a blow; I'll keep an eye on the feeders tomorrow morning in a bid to increase the Retreat's ornithological photographic records.
I'd thought the goldfinches would be the highlight of today's wildlife-spotting, but at 9.15pm, when the light had almost completely gone, eagle-eyed Matchgirl saw a familiar shape on the garden gate, polishing off his Nutella first course.
Mr Marten has been seen again!
He bounded across the lawn and sprinted up The Nutella Tree, where he knew more hazelnut spread was to be found. When he paused, halfway up, we estimated him to be around three feet long from his nose to the tip of his tail.
The light was too dim to confirm that it's the same regular visitor we had last year, but we're confident. Last year's newborn pine marten is now a strapping fellow.
Mr Marten last year – I hope there'll be new photos soon
The final unexpected visitor of the day was the frog found loitering when Matchgirl opened the door for Bess to take her evening stroll. It may have been a toad – the night was dark and my knowledge of amphibians is sketchy.
Bess guessed something was up, for she declined to exit the cottage. What the wanderer was doing on our doorstep remains a mystery.
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