Fast food or hunger?

A strange title for a druid blog but for me this week an important one. As you all know I spend a lot of time indoors unable to get out much. So I spend a lot of time watching the birds feeding as well as watching the other things in the garden.

It has become rather obvious that the bird feeders need refilling every couple of days. Yet when I look around them, there are lots of seeds on the ground. So this last few days I watched closely and noticed that the goldfinches especially, ate one seed and dropped two on the ground! Also the parents birds are teaching the young ones to use the feeders. Now is this a good idea?

Is there no food around in the fields and gardens for them to eat so they use the feeders put out for them or are they more interested in ‘fast food’ and not searching for food? Am I not helping by feeding them at this time of the year when there should be plenty of seeds around for them in the fields? I live on the edge of the village so the fields are only across the main road. The seeds that drop on the ground remain there and they do not eat them. I wonder why? I would love to hear your thoughts on this dilemma. Do I continue to feed them or let them find their own food elsewhere? Or buy a different type of feeder so less is wasted by being dropped on the ground?

Here are two of the goldfinches feeding. They seem to pose for the photo.

Being an indoor druid

People keep asking me to write another book, one about my experiences as an indoor druid. I think that I can write a blog or an article on this but not a book. It was very hard for me when I had to stop going down to the river or walking in parks and countryside. But I have found ways to compensate and also ways to still observe nature.

About every 5 or 6 weeks my son takes me to a wildflower farm about 15 miles away. I can manage short distances on my crutches so this is good and I can sit and observe the world around me. But what of the rest of the time?

I have a small garden and a bird feeder in it. At the back is an even smaller patch which has a bird table. My living room has windows at the front and back so I can see birds from each end of the room. I have started to sit with my camera nearby ready to use and this has been really good. But some days I can get in the garden and look at the flowers, butterflies and insects that are there. I have looked at more detail at the flowers noticing the changes in their colours and the way the buds and leaves open. I have begun to take more notice of what is close by me. I have always looked close at nature when out in the countryside but now I can’t do this I am having to adapt how I look at things close by.

It is an interesting journey so far but it is summer time. I can watch the clouds too and sometimes watch a sunset. What will it be like in the winter? I will have to wait and see.

I would love to find someone with a camper van or large car who would be willing to share some long weekends in various areas of the countryside so I could get out and see different areas with different trees and animals and of course, take lots of photos!

This last week I caught a butterfly on camera. Here he is.

Wild flower day

I am a bit late writing this but I have been visiting a wild flower farm a few miles away. Now the flowers are abloom it is a really lovely place to be. Although at the edge of an industrial estate it is peaceful too. There are two dragonfly ponds and there were a few dragonflies around but very difficult to catch on camera. Tea and cake followed my walk on crutches with several stops on the way.

I love going there because I am out in nature and there is so much to see. Tiny insects on flowers and reflections in the water. How much do you notice when out in nature? I can sit there for some time just watching and noticing even the smallest insect as it makes its way up a flower stem or stops on the flower to eat or drink. The colours too are so bright and beautiful and so many different hues as well. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I feel so much better now ready to face the challenges facing me at this time. Does time in nature help you too?

 

 

A day out

I went to a World Peace Fete today at a Buddhist centre. It was a lovely day to start with and plenty to see and do. Meditation was on offer as well as several therapies and readings. There was good food and live music. The grounds were lovely too with some magnificent trees and although quite noisy there was a sense of peace.

It was a place I would like to stay for a few days, a place where I could replenish my soul. I shall look into this as there are guest rooms. It was good to see friends I had not seen for several years and there were plenty of hugs all round.

On the way back we stopped at a garden centre and I bought more plants to entice the butterflies which are scarce this year. Then the rain came! But a good day and the knowledge that I have found a place I would like to visit more often.

Have you found places like that?

I thought this flower was really outstanding and very large.