Saturday 23 July 2011

She is still there.


Farmers' Market Day in our little town today and the town was buzzing with holidaymakers, the sun was shining, the car parks were full and all the shops seemed to be doing good business. This has got to be good for the town.

Our little group of friends met in the Lion as usual on Farmers' Market Day - our first, rather sad gathering without our old friend Joan, who died recently. Sitting there for an hour or more, drinking coffee and putting the world to rights is always enjoyable.

Then it was home for lunch and a walk round the fields with Tess and the farmer. We crept across to look at the pheasant's nest I put on my blog a couple of weeks ago (then the pheasant was so camouflaged that she was hard to see) fully expecting that she would be gone. But no, there she was, still sitting low and quietly - I do hope the eggs are fertile and that her sitting is not in vain. (We once had a wild duck who sat for six weeks on the side of the beck on a huge number of eggs, none of which hatched out). By quietly taking up a different position I was able to get a much better photograph for you to see her. I do hope she rears a little brood.

We have a brood of about eleven partridge - the grey partridge - you have to be quick counting them as they take off as you approach. Also today we saw a young leveret in the field - the first I have seen this year. The hare being my favourite animal this young one was a joy to see.

Chilly winds but blue skies forecast for tomorrow when most of our thoughts will be on John Gray's Allotment Day in Wales (Going Gently on my side bar) I do hope it all goes well for him as he has put such a lot of hard work into it.

Have a nice week end and spare a thought for the East coast of America where Elizabeth (The World Examining Works on my side bar) tells me that the temperature is 104 degrees there. If only they could send fifteen of those degrees over here then we could all be happy.

12 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Would happily ship as much heat as you'd like.....
but, sadly, can't think how to do it as brain is on the fritz......
Just finished reading "Far From the Madding Crowd" with it's lovely descriptions of English weather.
Had forgotten how wonderful Hardy is.

Gerry Snape said...

I'm hoping for a bit more sun this week as we will be doing Grange next weekend!

Heather said...

That's a very clear picture of the pheasant Pat - I hope her sitting is not in vain. We used to have hares in our paddock but I haven't seen one since we moved 30 years ago - they are magical creatures. I love to visit a farmers' market. We have one twice a month which has a lovely atmosphere. There are quite a few empty shops here which is a worry and I'm not sure that the impending arrival of a branch of W.H.Smith is going to be good for the town.

Reader Wil said...

Thanks for your visit and comment on Norway. I had to think of it all day.
Thanks for sharing the pheasant's nest. I hope that she will at least be rewarded with a fine brood.Will you take photos if she has?

angryparsnip said...

So happy your were able to get a photo of the pheasant, I hope she can hatch as many as Goldie.

cheers, parsnip

Becca McCallum said...

It's nice that towns seem to be picking up again. My town has several new individual tearooms and 'boutique' shops...however we still have lots of empty shop fronts and 'FOR SALE' signs. *sigh*

The Farmers Markets in Ayr don't take place in town, but in the sports centre. There's an occasional Continental Market that appears down at the harbour.

I'm amazed that you were able to get a photo of the pheasant. Here's hoping for chicks, and photos of them!

Dave King said...

Another thoroughly absorbing post, for which much thanks. If only they could send some of that heat from the East Coast!

Rachel Phillips said...

Heather, at least W H Smith is a very old established English company and sells useful things and isn't a coffee shop. I think wherever you are it will be good for your town and for Smiths.

We have lots of hares here in Norfolk, in fact they queue up to chomp off our crops.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Hope the pheasant is successful on riaising a brood. And partridges, how lovely, not seen any of those for a long time!

Golden West said...

I've always admired pheasant markings - such beautiful feathers!

Perhaps the reason people rarely smiled in old dauguerrotypes and ambrotypes was a combination of bad teeth and the length of exposure time. The former could take 3-15 minutes, while the latter was closer to one minute - both a long time to "hold that smile"!

ArtPropelled said...

Holding thumbs for the pheasant's brood. I'm so glad she's still there.

The Weaver of Grass said...

There will not be a photograph of the pheasant chicks because the moment they hatch she will leave the nest and take them to cover because they are so vulnerable. We might - with luck - catch sight of them when they are beginning to grow up - I hope so.

Thank you, as usual, for all your comments.