Engraving by George Graves, early 1800s
Without wishing to go all Bill Oddie on you, I was really chuffed on Monday morning when I saw a jay in our small garden; it was the first time I’ve witnessed one of these large, beautiful, exotically colourful birds so close. Its brief but eyecatching appearance here seemed timely as that evening I went to my first meeting at a bird conservation charity. It was just so good to be able to mention the jay’s presence there to a man I’d never met before but whom I knew would understand! The conversation continued about garden visits from long-tailed tits and goldfinches and our eyes shone as we discussed our feathered friends. This was not technical, competitive talk about spotting rare raptors or buying binoculars; instead just a keen mutual appreciation of the ordinary, daily company of our garden guests. (Or, as I see it, it's really their garden and we just borrow it.) They’re all around - house sparrows, bluetits, blackbirds - and I never tire of seeing them go about their daily business. Sightings of red kites, buzzards and barn owls might bring special, rare pleasures - like that jay - but they don’t need to be big, bold and bright to make my heart flutter. Every LBJ (‘little brown job’ in birdy speak) is as welcome a sight as anything more unusual, and I’ve learned so much just from observing them. So whilst I’m definitely not a ‘twitcher’, I could perhaps consider myself to be an amateur ornithologist. Although I must admit I can’t hear the word ‘ornithologist’ these days without being reminded of this Not The Nine O’Clock News team’s brilliant Two Ronnies parody...
Who else could have got away with the word 'dildo'
on early '80s prime time BBC TV?
Anyway, the meeting was about how volunteers can promote the work and research of this organisation and I’ve offered to compose some articles, as a means of combining my enthusiasm for birdlife with a love of creative writing. Nothing scientific or exclusive, just a way to share a personal passion which might hopefully end up doing some good too. (And I might even mention tits and nuts.)
I’d better get scribing.
