Saturday 11 August 2012

Another sad death.

Why do blackbirds fly so low over the road? It happens all the time. They fly out of the hedgerow at the side of the lane and across in front of the cars.

Today I found my fourth female blackbird dead in the lane. She was still warm and totally unmarked but had flown across so low that she had been hit by a passing car. And somewhere, in some nearby hedge, a brood of second-nestlings will be waiting for mum to return with a mouthful of food for them. And somewhere a poor, overworked dad will be struggling to maintain life for them all on his own. Let's hope he succeeds.

If you want a good read and enjoy travel books, do look out for "The Hungry Cyclist" by Tom Kevill-Davies, which is about a young man 'pedalling across the Americas in search of the perfect meal'. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it has taken me through America, to some places where I have been (Icefields Parkway, Athabasca Glacier, Great Divide) and to others (Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil) where I have always wanted to go but now know I never will. And I have read of his eating guinea-pig, armadillo, and the unspeakable insides of various other animals.
Not one for the squeamish though.

6 comments:

Heather said...

It's so sad when creatures get killed on the road. Our garden has been full of blackbirds lately - there are several nests nearby and the young ones are almost tame, letting us get quite near before they fly off.
The Hungry Cyclist must have had some amazing adventures, culinary and otherwise.

Tom Stephenson said...

It's a good idea to not drive at more than about 40 miles per hour down country lanes. Anything over that confuses birds, children and other animals, although nothing can be done about any of them that just dart from a hedge.

Crafty Green Poet said...

always sad when birds die, specially at this time of year...

Dominic Rivron said...

Not a fan of travel writing but -not quite the same thing- I am feeling lured back to Roger Deakin.

The Weaver of Grass said...

The dead bird had gone this morning when i walked down the lane - a sign that at least it has fed something overnight - nature never seems to waste anything, does it? Thank you for the visit.

kristieinbc said...

Road kill is very common in Canada, and is not limited to birds. Skunks, porcupines, deer and moose are just some of what I see on the side of the road when traveling. Always awful to come upon...

Thank you for the book recommendation!