[Zig]

Earlier tonight, this young blackbird made its very first flight from its nest in my garden, with its parents shouting and twittering, coming to rest in a bush by the fence. It remained quite still for a good 20 minutes, whereupon a neighbouring cat, drawn by its parents' alarms, slithed through my fence. As I snapped this shot, I thought enough was enough, so grabbed a piece of local Cotswold limestone: exit one cat pretty quickly.
Not quite the end of the moment: the young bird fluttered like a WW1 'plane in a crosswind, managed as far as some chickens next door, which started running around like offended matrons. The cat, by now streaking away followed by my projectile, was followed by the bird's parents..who of course had gained the confidence to start buzzing the cat like Spitfires.
I've had generations of blackbirds in the bushes at the bottom of my garden ever since I moved here. Mercifully there are fewer cats than there used to be...not that I've culled any of course, despite being tempted...!

[Toad]

Great story as well as an interesting shot!

[matthew]

I'm not sure I believe him about the culling, though.

[nia]

Oh, dear Zig, what a story! Cats are big problem for them. I always wonder how you feed the birds while the cats are around there. In here, same too, so I gave up feeding birds... They never let them in safe... And I can find some tragic views in the morning. I can't stand to see them of course.

This was so lovely one that you captured. Thank you dear Zig,

with my love,
nia

[Zig]

Matthew, you know me too well...
Nia raises a good point: many local bird-lovers here have found that feeding birds also attracts unwanted rodents like rats and grey squirrels, attracting further predations by cats. In the countryside here, this also brings foxes and the occasional badger along.
Most of these animals are part of the "background noise" of nature, yet having a badger interested is like inviting a bulldozer in. I once had a badger that came through the fence, muscling aside the weighty boulders I'd plugged the gaps with. In fact, the only indication I had that it was not actually a German shotputter that wanted a bit of lebensraum, was the absence of a towel folded on my patio.

[nia]

Matthew, you know me too well...
Nia raises a good point: many local bird-lovers here have found that feeding birds also attracts unwanted rodents like rats and grey squirrels, attracting further predations by cats. In the countryside here, this also brings foxes and the occasional badger along.
Most of these animals are part of the "background noise" of nature, yet having a badger interested is like inviting a bulldozer in. I once had a badger that came through the fence, muscling aside the weighty boulders I'd plugged the gaps with. In fact, the only indication I had that it was not actually a German shotputter that wanted a bit of lebensraum, was the absence of a towel folded on my patio.

Ah, yes, but I didn't know all these things. But do you know what I thought and talked with my husband when we were in UK. Especially in Devizes. We walked everyday (they were all so beautiful walking) sometimes along the fields, sometimes in the forest... We didn't see rats, etc. (but yes we saw so many sqquirrels, rabbits, and dogs yes not cats... just one or two, anyway) even we were around the fields, in nature... then I remembered when I was in Milan, oh my God, how big the rats there... and one morning while walking on the street (in the city) I came face to face an army of rats... bigger than a cat... I was shocked and afraid so much,... they were infront of me in the garbage bag, on the pavement... I jumped into the road... Luckily cars stopped. And on the other side, at the pavement still I was shaking... I never forgot.

But yes, in Devizes I never lived anything like that... even our room window was always open and there wasn't any fly too... You can laugh me, but one day I noticed they were flying infront of the open window but they never wanted to enter the room... It was amazing. Should be well trained.

Thank you dear Zig, I love your country and British people... We had a wonderful time there...

with my love,
nia

[matthew]

In fact, the only indication I had that it was not actually a German shotputter that wanted a bit of lebensraum, was the absence of a towel folded on my patio.

I have to apologize somewhat because other things have been drawing away my attentions this summer, and I haven't been spending the time or care here that I usually can. That's why I've gone six weeks without remarking on how ridiculously funny that line is.