My A-Z posts this year
are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies
- with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat
somewhat – a sort of wish they were here.
M – Mahonia, Michaelmas Daisy, Magpie, Mallard,
Moorhen
The mahonia bush we inherited in the front garden when we
moved into our house over 20 years ago stands about three feet tall. At this
time of year it shows a flower head like this:
Mahonia |
Those buds develop into berries later in the year. Which
bird takes a liking to them we do not know; something must because a second
shrub has appeared in the garden at the back of the house.
Later in the year some daisies grow,
Michaelmas Daisies |
Lilac
and blue, the daisies nurse now
Quiet suns in a centre of petals.
Quiet suns in a centre of petals.
You always know when there is mischief afoot when you hear
these birds; their raucous noise sounds just like the House of Commons at PM’s
Question Time – no wonder the collective name for a group of them is a
parliament. We see a pair regularly now but it has not reached the stage when
they are mobbed by other birds frightened for their young.
Magpie |
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a wedding,
And four for death
This rhyme, first recorded around 1780, has its origins in
superstitions connected with magpies. The magpie was considered a bird of ill
omen in some cultures, and in Britain,
at least as far back as the early sixteenth century
A bird that overflies us often is the mallard. We
even see them in the corner of a waterlogged field
Mallard Ducks |
It
does not cluck.
A cluck it lacks.
It quacks.
It is specially fond
Of a puddle or pond.
When it dines it sups,
It bottoms ups.
A cluck it lacks.
It quacks.
It is specially fond
Of a puddle or pond.
When it dines it sups,
It bottoms ups.
Mallards occur on my golf course at Billingham. There is a
pond on the 11th hole to which this verse could well apply:
In Spring in pond in
grove by the old streamlet amongst the reeds the moorhen built her nest
A bulky mass just
above the water level of flags and long dried grass the material she liked best
Moorhen |
But when it
comes to dogs some take exception to being given a bath after rolling in deer
droppings. Just to show who is in charge she dries off in the dirtiest spot she
can find.
Maxie sulking |
Poems:
- The Moorhen Pond – Francis Dugan
- Michaelmas Daisies – Ronald ‘Chalky’ White
- Mallard Duck – Albert Aunchman
6 comments:
Hi Bob .. my mother loved Mahonia - the scent was pervasive .. mighty prickly to pick - but I did - one sprigg!
Muddy Maxie should be your last title .. I hope you're feeling better -
Cheers Hilary
Your magpir rhyme is rather different to the one I know, Bob, but it is strange that one bird should attract so much attention in verse.
Hope you are feeling better.
I thought it was parliament of owls? Magpies too eh? Lovely pix again Bob. Do you play golf?
JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
Donovan wrote a lovely little song...
"The magpie is a most illustrious bird."
The moorhen is beautiful! And poor Maxie, poor you, who had to bathe her!
Great pictures! I'm new to your blog from the A to Z Challenge. Nice to meet you. :)
@ Margo, Juliet & Jen - thanks for visiting. I'll look in on you as soon as I can.
Jo - I retired from golf at the end of 2012.
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