Hopton House Blog Comments
Spring Birds
Posted by Karen Thorne on 19/05/2010 17:38:58
If you've already stayed at Hopton House, you'll know we do love our birds, and most of our guests enjoy lingering over breakfast and watching the birds on the feeders just outside the dining room.
This time of year is fabulous as we have lots of different birds nesting all round the house and garden. We have, probably quite literally, hundreds of sparrows nesting in the eves of the house. They're very common here but I have guests arrive who haven't seen any for years.
Our postbox is currently out of use as a blue tit has taken up residence and is sitting on a clutch of 7 tiny white & red speckled eggs.
In the barn ( the actual room not the guest room! ) we have more nesting sparrows, one pair of swallows and a blackbird. We also have a pair of collared doves and 2 wood pigeons in the garden. I've grown, quite bizarrely, attached to the crows who are nesting in the oak tree next door. Mrs Crow sits on her nest and shouts down to Mr Crow who runs round the garden frantically looking for food while she yells.
My favourite this year is the blackbird in the barn. For some reason she's on her own. Normally a pair will share the raising of the family between them. I've been feeding her extra mealworms and she now flies into the office if she feels I've been neglecting her. We're in for a stressful time over the next few days as the babies have been balancing on the edge of the nest and I think they're about to fledge. Wish us luck!
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