A Shock Arrival
Where are all our Birds?
FLORA AND FAUNA AND THE FOREST WORLD
10/8/20253 min read
Little by little the birds are returning to Domaine des Rochers. Our faithful friend the blue tit was the first to make his appearance , and he is now a regular visitor to our balconies where we have suspended some fat balls. The robin too is hopping around, and will no doubt bring us cheer in the colder months with his bright red breast.The larger jays have also turned up again, but they remain aloof , flying between the trees, or coming to drink from the spring that feeds our pond in the early morning. Of course, it's obvious. They are hanging around now, for we have a number of deciduous oak on our property, and jays are known to make stores of acorns for the winter to come. I love them for their bright colours and soaring flight. But other birds , like the blackcap, the blackbird , thrush and tiny wren, we have yet to spy. Perhaps our pyracantha will tempt them. Berries are currently forming, and very soon they will turn bright red. I sincerely hope all our old friends will turn up for their regular snacks.
We have watched all of these birds and more, over the years, and dipped into our favourite book on birds to learn more. But there is one that we we have only ever spotted a couple of times over the many years we have been here. Only once did I spot it, high up on a branch of a pine tree. It was so, so tiny that I felt that I could be mistaken. I have often suspected that there must be more of these , but they remain hidden and aloof, content to shun our fat balls in favour of small insects and spiders, up there in the canopy. But definitive proof of their presence came when Aurelie, our first cat, presented us with one on our patio. It was, for sure, a tiny firecrest.
And so the elusive firecrest remains mysteriously aloof and intriguing , despite my determination to spot it in the branches of our pines trees.
That changed the other day when we heard a gentle thump against our conservatory windows. This happens from time to time when a bird unwittingly flies into the glass. It usually lies there, stunned for a time, and then , much to our relief , flies off towards the trees. We quickly ensured that Léo was nowhere around, then went to see how this bird was faring, fully expecting to see a tit, or a robin perhaps. But no! A tiny firecrest was lying there, with one wing splayed out. Was it broken? We watched it with some concern for a few minutes, but when it didn't recover and fly off I gently picked it up and brought it inside. Some minutes later it began to perk up a little , so I took it to a safe spot in the garden . Alas, ten minutes on, and it was still there, looking stunned. This was worrying. Happily , our little bird eventually perked up and flew off into a tree.
Of course, although this little story has a happy ending, it begs the question of whether we humans have the right to intrude in environments such as this. Apparently, in New York there is a large death toll amongst migratory birds, particularly in October. But things can be done to reduce these casualties, such as cutting off lighting at night which confuses migrating birds with reflections of themselves. I also read that one can install 'bird safe ' glass. Now, if only we had known about that when installing our conservatory. But perhaps, with increasing awareness of these matters, building authorities will set new regulations. We will also try our best to find ways to fend off further collisions. Meanwhile, let us enjoy the gentle firecrest, with his beautiful colouring, pointed beak, bright red throat,and sweet little tuft of yellow feathers on his crest.
