Friday 19th October 2012 |
This morning was absolutely still, not a breath of a breeze. As I raised my binoculars to scan the surrounding countryside, a Merlin flew low and fast over the fields, hoping to flush up a finch or pipit.
I continued down into the grassland, trying to spot the finches feeding on the sow-thistle before they spotted me and flew off. For when they flush they seem to never stop flying. I always expect them to come back, but they just keep on going until my arms ache holding up the binoculars trying to focus on ever-diminishing dots.
And herein lies a problem for me. The weeds in the grassland, and in particular that pesky sow-thistle which caused me so much misery a couple of weeks ago when it broke the grass cutter, those weeds are now attracting flocks of finches and buntings. This morning at least a dozen Reed Buntings were quietly perched in the sow-thistles picking at the downy seed heads. They are tamer than the finches and allowed me some excellent views.
So, next year, do I leave the sowthistle? It will look messy. It will annoy the neighbours. It will make it almost impossible for me to manage the grassland. But it will save me a job and it will attract the birds in the winter.
So a compromise is needed. I have decided to leave an area specifically for the finches. I will introduce more seed-bearing plants, such as teasel, and attempt to make a feature of it. I seem to remember that one of the seed companies, maybe Cotswold Seeds, do a winter feed mix for wild birds.
Maybe I'll even put up a hide! I found a source of cheap sheds last week. It wouldn't take a lot of effort to adapt it.
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