You Looking At Me?

We are very lucky to have so many birds visit our garden. We don't have feeders, it's all down to how Sarah manages everything, it is a wildlife friendly garden!

We are also fortunate to have the smallest songbird found in the UK drop by every now and then, do you know what it is? One of the largest birds we see is the Jackdaw. Having said we don't put out feeders, we do in midwinter, just to give the little birds a helping hand, because the Goldfinches would have raided every last seed head that Sarah has left for everyone!

When the feeders are out the Jackdaws show up! They're not really welcome, particularly as they empty the feeders in a matter of minutes but, the garden is for everyone so, I guess I just have to put more seeds out!

J-J-J-J-Jackdaw,

circling the back door,

showing off your knack for

letting rip that high caw,

cutting like a hacksaw

through the evening's calm core,

giving it the jaw-jaw!

Always with the comeback,

coal-black crackerjack,

joker of the haystack,

ready with wisecrack,

giving it the backchat!

King of the chimney-stack,

the belfry bivouac,

bright-eyed steeplejack,

from church-tower to tarmac,

giving it the snicker-snack!

Don’t call her Crow

or Rook or Raven,

for she is Jackdaw,

grey-headed outlaw, 

fighting the class war,

dipping down on quick wings

to hijack a wedding ring or

ransack a knick-knack or

snatch up a gimcrack

while giving it the guffaw!

Excerpt from 'Jackdaw', The Lost Spells

by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

You looking at me?

More food please!
Would a Jackdaw say please?