Despite appearances, this is still a knitting/crochet/running blog. But following your reactions to the last post, I thought that some of you might want to know that this happened with Robyn-the-robin. Repeatedly:-
She ate from my hand, too, but I didn’t manage to get a picture of that. Sometimes one of the twinnage joins me on the bench waiting quietly for her to arrive, but Robyn is wary of my boys – she stares from the fence as though to say, “Look mate, I’ve got a whole nestful of kids at home, so I really don’t need to be dealing with yours, too.”
Of course she weighs practically nothing. She’s incredibly gentle as she takes each mealworm. I thought I’d feel pecked and scratched but, no – she’s way too careful for that.
She takes the mealworms and feeds her young on the fence behind the shed. It would seem that we’re now friends, and so every time I set foot in the garden, she alerts me to her presence by zooming past my head at high speed. Thank goodness none of my other friends behave like that.
Anyway it’s May, and much as I love knitting and crochet, it’s way too tempting to potter about outdoors instead. The garden and the pond are waking up, and things that I’d feared were dead (plants, family members, the urge to run another marathon) are exuberantly throwing out fresh signs of life. Hurrah!
The twinnage – both of them – seem to have inherited my love of poking about in ponds and streams. Embarrassing confession: at their age, I was making complicated graphs of water temperature by depth and time of day.
(By the way, if you want to attract birds – and wildlife in general – to your garden, please BUILD A POND. Some days, we have an actual queue of birds waiting to freshen up in the shallows.)
The pond is a bit predator-heavy (I’ve never seen so many dragonfly larvae and backswimmers) so I worry about how many tadpoles survived. But the twinnage have been looking after a small number of tadpoles in a tank indoors, and of course those tadpoles matured into froglets, who harboured ambitions of escape, up the sides of the tank:-
The Stoic Spouse started muttering about the risk of a plague of frogs in the house, so we released them (the froglets, not the Stoic Spouse) at the edge of the pond, giving them well-meant advice about not getting eaten that they’ll doubtless ignore because they’re young and adventurous.
And whilst this post may not be directly about knitting, all the colour out there at this time of year is definitely inspiring to those of us who are of a yarny disposition.
But I can’t help but return to the pond. Every time.
It may look peaceful and uneventful on the surface, but stare for more than a moment and you’ll notice that there are hundreds of critters below and they are BUSY. So I stare. A lot. I’m the same when I’m out and about. On a run the other day, I came across a lake.
And whilst at first glance there was not much happening, a closer look revealed swarms of almost-too-tiny-to-see daphnia just beneath the surface. There were so many, I could scoop them up in a handful of water and attempt to photograph them with my phone. Can we just take a moment to congratulate this one on being pregnant with quadruplets? Look!
It’s good to be running properly long-distance again. I love to lollop across the countryside, not knowing where I’ll end up or what wildlife I’ll see.
The temptation to enter another marathon this summer has grown too strong, so I’m building up the miles in preparation.
Anyway, enough of that. There’s knitting to be done. More soon…
OMG! I love your posts and this was a really great one. I miss the UK robin, our version here (Colorado) is bigger and not as red and cute! I also miss the spring, at 7500ft above sea level it hasn’t truly arrived here yet, and we have snow in the forecast for Tuesday. Thank you for the blog, I always enjoy reading it.
Wendy
And thank YOU for saying such kind things. You have scenery and snow, though, which I can’t help envying…
If the Twinnage would like to do temperature measurements of the water like you did, I still have the thermometer-on-a stick that you used. I’m sure they’d love it!
Oh my goodness, you kept it?! ❤ Mum, you’re awesome. I shall float the idea…
So thoughtful of you to have dinner made for Robyn Mom for her children. It’s hard enough trying to raise a brood of chicks without having to go dig around in the cupboards.
She does sometimes look as though she’s been run ragged!
Awwww. She’s cute p I’ve got four ponds. Love the live it attracts.
H. Half of my comment disappeared? Didn’t used a certain word?
That’s strange (that half your comment disappeared). I’ve no idea why. And as I’ve said to you before, I have pond-envy! Four sounds like the perfect number of ponds.
Your feet in the trees tickled me! I love the allium and bee too.
Well, feet on the ground has SO been done before!
Are you certain your a knitter, your photographs are so beautiful! You should frame one of Robyn.
Aww, thank you! Robyn is very photogenic.
I love the Bristish robins! I am from CT inthe states but im living in NC now. On my first visit to London i got to the Fortnum and Mason Christmas window display in late Nov. and spent so much time wondering about the Christmas robin dishes display. To me its a spring bird. Whats the Christmas robin story?
I think your garden friend is full of charm!
We often do have robins on Christmas cards – I suspect for no better reason than they’re pretty against a snowy background!
I read somewhere that its because the UK Victorian postmen were issued with red cloaks they got the nickname “Robins” so, the picture the of a robin on a Christmas card was a sort of in-joke… I’m not sure if that is 100% true, as robins do stand out against at winter scenery – even when it’s a damp, dull green (as most of my UK Christmases have been)
Now that’s a robin story I’ve never heard! “Robins” as postmen. Such a pleasure to hear the varied responses, thank you.
Your posts are such good fun, I always enjoy reading them. We’ve got a pair of robins and I’m really tempted to try the mealworm trick (it might make me sit down for a while too!) and your pond looks fabulous. I’m still laughing at the thought of your friends zooming past your head at high speed! 🙂 xx
Do it! Do it! Do it! (Re the mealworms.) I put some on the ground near my feet at first, before progressing to my knee, and then my hand. You could always knit a sock whilst you wait…
I agree with all the above!
What camera do you having capturing these photos?…amazing and
Thank You
The photos of Robyn and the running photos were taken with my phone (Samsung S8), whilst the other ones were taken using my camera – Canon 6D, and with a macro lens for close-ups. 🙂
Wow! I love Robins. My lovely Mum used to say that a Robin visiting is a friend who had passed away come to visit. Whenever I see one, I like to think it’s her. Would love to get as close to one as you have been.
Your photos are amazing by the way! x
Oh, that’s a lovely thought! They’re certainly a comforting sight in the garden.
You’re providing us such wonderful photographic windows into your life, with such marvelous narrative. I do so look forward to each chapter – like a book released per chapter. Our robins here In the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. are good sized birds and definitely think well of themselves. Such a strut! All this talk of ponds and such has me wanting one (and it would be possible – she says). Reflecting ponds were quite popular in the 19th century in San Francisco, which is where I spent most of my life. Now you have me dreaming of just such a wonderful pond, as I await my yarn from WW for a Baby Ray. So in the meantime, I’m off to another SW ami. Thank you for inspiring us.
And thank YOU for such a thoughtful comment. I may be biased, but I hope you do build a pond…
Your robins do sound rather fun, if very different from ours!
I so enjoyed this ! What a special privilege to have the Robin trust you like this! Keep these coming please- I really love them, plenty of time for knitting later ????
I love your photographs. And a great blog today
Such a great blog today. I too love your photographs. Spring into summer is such a beautiful time of the year – full of life and vibrancy, colourwise too. Thank you 🙂
I feel as though I’ve just come from a lovely visit! Thanks for the great photos and story. ????
I don’t have the skills to build a pond but your posts always inspire me to at least dream about it. I love your Robyn!
Delightful post – as always!!
I can relate to the charting frogs! I was catching bumble bees and placing them in the freezer and taking them back out after so many minutes to see how they would do. (And releasing) Freezer was left ajar one time and that was the end of that set of experiments.
one again, i must say how much i enjoy your stories and especially your photographs … wow!
thank you so much!
All beauty, smiles and inspiration…why is it that everything British is somehow superior to what we have here in the USA – not that I don’t love my country!! I do – but still…nuff said. The bird is just so darned cute! Ours is not cute by any measure and the scenery you share makes me weep – my parents visited England a couple of times, my mother toured gardens, and when it was time to leave she sat on the bed and wept because, my dad told me, she didn’t want to leave! Something in the blood, I guess. The picture of the boy reflected in the pool is genius! And then the frogs walking up the glass – there’s just no end to your brilliance. Thanks for all.
I’m behind on your blog posts, but thank you for posting! I felt like I was right there with you. Love from way out west in Oregon, US.