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 Front Row Seat For Bess
by admin - 23:29 on 24 January 2011
It's already well established that Bess enjoys a spot of birdwatching. She's spent many fulfilling hours observing the action on the feeders outside the living room window, tail a-twitch and chattering like Hannibal Lecter.
She even spends some of the evening hours on the windowsill, looking out into the garden, having failed to grasp that most birds are tucked up in their nests at that time. However, her voluntary sentry duty was rewarded last night, but not by a feathered visitor.
The scrabbling against the window told me that something was happening. When I got there, Bess had her nose pressed up against the glass to get the best view of the pine marten who tucked into peanut butter and nuts on the outside windowsill, totally unfazed by the outraged moggy just inches away from her. (I presume this was Miss Marten, but as I didn't get a good view of her bib I can't be sure.)
Even my torch didn't bother the diner – I could probably have used flash to take a snap, but as all I would have got was reflection from the window I didn't try.
When the visitor had eaten her fill, and trotted off to her next port of call, the brave moggy felt able to venture outside (accompanied by me) to sniff her tracks and do her business.
She's back on guard tonight, although no-one has yet turned up. Despite that she's reluctant to go out alone, even when I open the door for her. The hooting at the bottom of the garden may have something to do with that. Some birds are too big for a small cat.
The black great tit was again in the garden this afternoon and I managed one snap worth keeping – not very sharp but a good illustration of its unusual plumage. Melanism is one suggestion.
Band Update: Shaker convened again tonight for what was generally agreed to be a lacklustre rehearsal. Mondays don't feel right. That's our excuse anyway.
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