What a lovely surprise late yesterday afternoon to see three Bronze Wing Pigeons at our pond. If you click on the photo you will see that one of the females has raised her wing so you can see the bronze underside. We have only ever seen the male and on occasion the female so now there are three it must mean they are happy to breed here. They must also be finding enough food as we are surrounded by vineyards and Chrissie next door and I are the only ones who still have clear spaces with lots of trees.
I also thought you might be interested too in the fake crocodile we have in the pond.... someone who saw the large root of the waterlilies asked if it was a crocodile..... the lone black duck in the background has been coming most days now and I suppose his mate is somewhere sitting on eggs.
It would be lovely if they brought the ducklings over to our pond again like they did last season.
They were such a lively bunch and rushed about like a lot of sheep dogs let off the chain.
The same duck posed for me to show you how large the Blood Lily leaves grow after the flower has finished. I find bulbs especially amazing because they appear mostly in autumn and put on such a lovely show after the very hot and dry summers we have here.
I wonder if the dried leaves may not be good for paper making as they seem quite sturdy when dry. Or even basket making.....
These photos were all taken yesterday afternoon when the garden looked spectacular with its mown green grass and weeds. I think we have had an exceptionally cold and damp winter, not wet so much as dreary and drizzly. The fire was never allowed to go out, day or night, though the wood we had is not exactly first class and incline to go black unless you kept the flue open most of the time. I bought some special devices to help combat the smoke but I can't say I am impressed.....still having to scrub the glass in the door... still, what is that bother compared to not having a warm house....
