We let the zoos be for now. I hope they become a place of refuge and education, as they should. This is a post about Marlfield Lake inhabitants who are free to move around as they please. The low fence is protecting them from the visitors who can fall in the water and frighten the chicks. I have mentioned Marfield lake in one of my last year’s posts.
Robins live an average 2 years, but it all depends. If there are no predators, the weather is good and the food is plenty they might live a decade. This particular robin has been around for some 5-6 years. Of course I cannot tell for sure that it is exactly the same robin, but I think I recognize the behavior.
As it happened, during my latest visit the robin had been moulting.
He probably could not fly well, so he hid in the shrubs and came out only to pick up some crumbs.
A century-and-a-half long history of feeding the local waterfowl with bread has probably made them sort of domesticated.
After the lunch, robin comes from behind the fence to visit with me. When there are no dogs around, this robin can come quite close. He is a great poser.
Look at him! He is standing right next to my feet.
The robin is hopping around, picking something invisible from the cracks in the rocks.
I notice something else, and say bye-bye to him. I swear he knows the word.
‘Something else’ is a young blackbird that sits on the ground behind the fence with his wings spread wide. There is nothing wrong with him. He is just cooling himself.
I wonder why he doesn’t walk to the water and drink a few drops to cool off. May be he is afraid of the swan family? This is a daddy swan…
… and this is his mate and their cute fluffy cygnets.
I also spot four female ducks strategically perched on a fallen tree, minding each other’s back.
If you think that I have posted too many bird pictures in this blog, here are two butterflies and two very useful herbs for you.
Red Admiral – Vanessa atalanta, a very common butterfly around the Marlfield Lake.
Speckled Wood butterfly.
Fragrant Pineapple weed is good for your stomach. When you crush its feathery leaf between your fingers, you feel that sweet pineapple scent. If you taste a flower head, it has a light citrus flavor.
Hedge Woundwort smells like mouse urine – so they say; for me it is just a very unpleasant aroma. Woundwort is a very powerful antiseptic remedy, healing to the wounded tissues.
I will be away for a couple of weeks. For my next blog I have scheduled a Halloween ghost story, and after that you can walk around the Mount Congreve Gardens two weekends in a row 🙂
I link this blog post to the Robin’s blog – you can see why 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend!
Making memories 
Great photos as always! That little robin knows no fear 🙂
Haha, he knows that a person with a camera won’t do any harm 🙂
What a handsome robin. They always look as if they know how wonderful they are.
Thank you! This one was clearly looking for a company. There was food, so his interest in me was genuine and unselfish 😉
I don’t get tired of your birds and butterflies, flowers and weeds and walks. Have a wonderful break, Inese.
Thank you so much, Diana! I thought it would be good to share my robin after all the zoo pictures 🙂
One can never have too many bird, butterfly, and flower pics in a post. 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
Beautiful shots. Have a wonderful trip 🙂
Thank you 🙂 Too many, but I could not make a choice 🙂
Have a great trip, Inese. I think your Robins are prettier than ours by a long way. They act more like our finches, based on my limited time ‘over there’.
Thank you! 🙂 American robin is as curious and funny as ours. I love watching one in my daughter’s backyard. The robin family lives there many years.
Ou Robins are pretty accepting of the people who live where they nest year after year and as a small child I’d try to sneak up on them. They’d wait a bit then fly 20 yards away, not a problem for them. Our Purple or House finches, once they know you even talk to you, chirping about something. Not sure what, maybe telling us they want more seed and water.
We have the finches too, but they are quite shy. I got a few shots, will share them next year 🙂
OK. Next year. :). I have found that city birds and country birds of the same species react to people quite differently.
Absolutely agree with you. I have been thinking of this many times.
I think this is another proof that animals like you and as you mentioned before you also speak to them. I am guessing that you also spoke to the little robin too. He is so cute and looks so fragile.
Many bird pictures but they are lovely.
Thank you! 🙂 I was afraid that it was too many, but you know, I just wanted to share. It doesn’t happen too often that a bird lets me come so close. He was a delightful little bird.
It makes you feel very good and surprising to see another specie that normally stays away from your of fear comes close.
Yes, exactly 🙂
I admire Robins. Solitary birds for the most part, Did you give this one a name, like I’ve done with Brian the Sparrow down at the harbour?
Thank you! 🙂 No I didn’t give him a name. If I lived closer, and visited more often, I might. Robins listen to human voice, they are interested in humans. Very curious fun birds.
I thought ‘Brian’ the Storm should have had a name with more impact.
What a lovely place! Thanks for sharing your friends with us. The robin is adorable even if it was molting. The swan family was serene. I like that you finished with herbs and butterflies..
Thank you! Together, they make a walk memorable.
What a cool place Inese. I love the little birds, they are so cute. I have never heard of Fragrant Pineapple weed…interesting. As always, your photos are beautiful, especially the way you captured the swan.
Thank you Antonia! This weed grows on the worst soil, around the paths, in the farmyards. The fragrance reminds me of chamomile, just more fruity.
So interesting!
As ever, these photos are an utter joy:). Thank you so much for sharing them, Inessa.
I do like a wander in the natural world with you, Inese! Always something to discover
Thank you so much! I return to this lake quite often and it is always the same, but somehow there is always a story going on 🙂
Wonderful!
Such nice images. The Robin and you seem to be old friends.
Thank you! He trusts photographers as they don’t move and never shoo the birds around 🙂
Excellent photos to accompany lovely text – or perhaps the other way round 🙂
Thank you Derrick! I had my field day with that robin 🙂
Beautiful post Inese and this little robin is really amazingly 🙂
Thank you Irene 🙂 He isn’t afraid of me, because I am neither a child nor a dog 🙂 He knows that people with cameras stay still and never move 😉
And it is quite pleasant o be in places where animals have been… “respected” by humans for a long time. They’re not afraid anymore… 🙂
You know, they are careful because the dogs and children chase them, but the ducks are sometimes sleeping on the road, and the drivers always slow down when they pass the lake.
You are right. Hadn’t thought about kids and dogs. Our grandson is fascinated with animals… (We need to teach him slowly that there may be good dogs and mean dogs…) And I can imagine drivers slowing down… Ah! Civilization!
No one wants to feel guilty killing a sleeping duck, I guess.
A dog has bitten my eldest. Quite bad. A big puppy in training for K9. He just wanted to play, to catch her, but he was too massive.
Oh no… That becomes traumatic. I hope there will be no scars or sequels?
There will be a scar, under her knee, but it will go away in time as she is very young. Most important is that it didn’t make her dog -o- phobic 🙂 She understands that it was not an attack. The owner was traumatized the most.
All good then. One learns through trial and error. I was bitten by a dog once when I was 7. I was petting it on the head and ears. (Then the owner told me the dog had sensitive ears… tsss) I am now careful with dog ears… My main concern with kids and dogs is the face. When they are very little the kids’ face is at the level of the dog’s muzzle. So one has to teach them how to approach the dog (not to get bitten in the face) Well. Glad it was “controlled”.
Yes, you are very right about that. When the kids grow taller, that changes the story.
🙂
Beautiful post. Where are live we are told not to feed birds bread as it bloats up in their stomach with water and fills them and they do not got on to feed on other things they should. Also many have died from botulism. Best to bring seeds with you.
I know Joseph, that would be very good for the birds, but this lake is there for some hundred years, and people have been feeding waterfowl with bread from the beginning of time. I don’t know if any warning would help. The robins and the blackbirds have their nests nearby and always pick the crumbs. I am not bringing bread. There is plenty, and not all the birds eat it. The ducks from the far end of the lake seldom come here. They eat weeds.
Such a pleasant post Inese. I could almost hear the birds chirping, and smell the woods…
I do miss Europe’s proximity to nature. Most places you are quite close to woods, prairies, lakes, robins. (Rouge-gorge in French)
Enjoy your trip to your family. We’ll be in touch.
Cheers
Thank you Brian! You have been everywhere, and I am sure there is something in each place that is close to your heart, and evokes warm memories. Wishing you all the best, and most important, safety for you and your loved ones.
Thank you Inese. All the same to you. You will likely be delighted to see the grown new baby and the older one, and your daughter… Enjoy your trip.
(As for everywhere, not quite, but we will take a new step in December, going to Asia for 3 weeks to reunite with Daughter #2, taking Daughter#1, son-in-law and grandson along… It will be quite something. Cheers
It will be a memorable trip. Wishing you all the best.
🙂
Beautiful little robin! Our American Robin is quite different in appearance.
We always look forward to their arrival after a long winter, as then we know
spring is just around the corner.
Thank you! Yes, they are different in appearance, but quite similar in their behavior. Both curious and brave 🙂 We have them here all over the year.
Love the one of the robin looking right at you! Looks like he was listening intently to you. 😃
Thank you! He was right under my feet, and I was afraid that my long lens won’t work 🙂 He is very bold 🙂
Evidently. 😃