Saturday 5 September 2009

Do twenty-five swallows on the wire constitute Autumn?

What follows was translated from bird-talk overheard this morning on the electric wires.

Young swallow to mum:


Which way shall we go?
We'll follow the sun.
When are we going?
When our time here's done.
Shall I stay with you?
We'll see, we'll see.
Can I have rests?
Trust me, trust me.
Where will we eat
when I get hungry?
I know a midden
where there'll be plenty
of midge and fly and we pass close by.
What is it like there?
It's hot, hot, hot.
Is it nothing like here?
No it's not, not, not.
Stop your questions at once.
Take a look round here -
remember my dear one
you'll be back here next year!


Have a good weekend.

34 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

I love this! I took some video yesterday of the blackbirds all moving together through the forest. And the geese have been congregating in My Muskoka ! They flew overhead in formation to another lake. Practicing their formation skills?!

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Weaver - love the intrinsic metaphors in this.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Amazing what one can decipher from all that twittering! It's certainly not, not, not, hot, hot, hot here!

Pondside said...

I must listen more closely!

Crafty Green Poet said...

very sweet, we saw ten swallows today fliying south, whether they were actually starting their journey to the very south we weren't sure, but they seemed determined...

steven said...

hello weaver - this is a lovely observation!!! i'm watching the birds these days as they are definitely thinking about the cold days ahead. some of the little animals are already hoarding seeds and nuts. have a lovely day in the dale. steven

Anonymous said...

"Midge and fly" -how stunning.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Apposite and charming poem, Weaver,good luck to them,bon voyage, I for one, look forward in hope of seeing their welcome return.Did you get your birdy info from facebook or, more likely, from Twitter!
(Ps.You have inspired me to do a crow conversation)

ArtPropelled said...

I'll be waiting for them to arrive this side. I wonder how long it actually takes them to fly from Britain to South Africa. Quite amazing.

Denise Burden said...

I think his could be made into a childrens picture book.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Dear Weaver of Grass, it's a birdsong with songlyrics. I really enjoyed it.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

Today we spotted 6 killdeer flying in large circles over an open area, around and around. Calling constantly. We decided it was mom and dad training their babies for the migration ahead. Lovely poem! Once I saw a large V of geese going along smartly when suddenly they sort of got confused and swirled around for awhile before heading out again

Unknown said...

When the swallows come around in huge numbers and start chirping, I always refer to them as the board of directors. I love your story poem Weaver.

Golden West said...

I had birds on the mind today, as well! Loved your poem!

Anonymous said...

Weaver that poem is great! I too think there's the possibility of a children's book there - seriously!!

Arija said...

Love your little poem.
Here we have some who have raurned but not all of them yet.

Leenie said...

Liked it!

Anonymous said...

A flavour of Robert Louis Stevenson here, one of my first favourites. I shall watch those swallows on the wires with new attention!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Jenn - I too love the geese flying over - we always say here that it they are flying South it means bad weather is coming. These season changes are so exciting for bird life aren't they?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Bonnie - thanks

The Weaver of Grass said...

Similar weather here Derrick. Yes - it is amazing what one hears if one keeps one's ear to the wires.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Pondside - let me know if you hear anything interesting!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Juliet - I think we all watch out for them going at this time of the year - I have never actually seen a departure - I just suddenly notice that they are gone.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Steven - our hedgehogs are beginning to hibernate. We had a huge one eating the cat food the other day so he/she will be well stocked up for winter.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks elizabeth.

The Weaver of Grass said...

TFE - Twitter of course, very funny!
Look forward to hearing your crow conversations.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Robyn - I asked a friend about how long it took - she thought she had read somewhere that it was about ten days before they reached Africa. No doubt somebody in Blogland will be able to tell us.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to Denise and Tomasso

The Weaver of Grass said...

LL - glad to hear that you are watching the skies too.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to the rest of you - I am interested in that word "raumed" what exactly does it mean Arija?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Art Propelled - read my next blog for the information re migration. The ten day thing is probably jut to get to Europe. They fly about two hundred miles a day at about twenty miles an hour apparently.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Wonderful!!
I should have known you would be able to translate this!!

BT said...

Oh how wonderful. So poetic, not like the following.

Jim and I were having a fanciful conversation between a pair of swallows in our barn who still have young in the nest. 'I told you we shouldn't have had that last shag' (excuse language). Now everyone's gone and we'll end up having to stay in this hell hole until next year'. How stupid are we? lol.

Janice Thomson said...

Love this Weaver! Spot on in your observations.