feeding the rat

27th Feb

Another wander along to Warriston a couple of days before we jetted off to Majorca. I hadn't got round to sorting the photos and posting this blog before we left. I may not have bothered if it hadn't been for Ms. Rat, a rare sight and therefore worth putting down here. I know rats aren't everyone's fave creature but they are wildlife and have as much right to exist as kingfishers, otters and the more glamorous beasts we hold in high esteem. It is their very success and adaptability that ruins their PR as they invade basements and attics in search of shelter and food. They are smart enough to know where they stand and consequently will disappear into the undergrowth when they see you coming, making them far more rare to capture shots of than kingfishers and otters. "Feeding the Rat" btw is a book about the addiction of rock and mountain climbing by Al Alvarez about Mo Anthoine and it is so long since I read it, I can only recall it made an impression at the time. Must get it out and have a re-read now I am no longer feeding that particular rat.

robin with a square meal

this blackbird is a regular visitor and arrives with great enthusiasm when I put out food

Up above the crypts and the rain starts lashing down. There are a couple of coniferous trees that are the only dry places to stand rain-free and consider how shit the weather can be in Winter. Interestingly the new camera is far more water resistant than the previous one. However a couple of years of making sure water and camera never mixed has imprinted the habit and I am reluctant to let rainfall anywhere near the new camera. 

An annual delight this singular sprig of Glory-of-the-snow has appeared in the same pedestal trench several years in a row now. It is a harbinger of Spring and sign that life will take root in the most barren of places given half a chance.

glory-of-the-snow

Okay this is the third birdfeeder on trial. The second one; plastic cage holding fatballs, lasted about 24hrs before the thick plastic bars containing the balls were chewed through making it redundant. "Release the balls!" There was zero sign of any fatballs on the ground below and I wonder if they even fell that far before being dispatched by the squirrels. I have no evidence it was squirrels but I doubt it was the crows and pigeons. Previously the squirrels hadn't shown that much interest in fatballs (their preferences in order are peanuts, bread, sunflower seeds with fatballs a poor fourth) so I hoped they might leave the hanging device alone. Unfortunately I think they enjoy a challenge, especially if there is a hint of food-reward. I was in Tesco's and saw this feeder (only about £5 so nice and cheep!) and it was made of a heavier plastic that wouldn't be so susceptible to squirrel teeth, although I held little faith as they dispatched the first 2 in minutes. The birds took about 20 minutes before giving it a go and 2 days later it was half empty suggesting it was bedding in nicely. I wouldn't be able to refill it as I'd be away for the following week on holiday but it was a good start and maybe the squirrels wouldn't tear it to bits like the first 2.

instant success

"thank you for my new feeder
I'll try and keep those other thieves off it!"

Meanwhile there were two conflicts going on. I lay out food in several places at the far end of the riverside area. The squirrels are very quick to come looking and I put peanuts on the low stone (below) for them. I have grown tired of discouraging the pigeons and they are getting bolder. Two dropped in and settled on "the squirrels" stone. It was interesting to watch the squirrels react as "their" food stash was decimated by the greedy pigeons. Would they stand by and watch or get pro-active? The boldest hatched a cunning plan and climbed the small tree on the right of the monument and then leapt between the grazing pigeons onto the top of the stone. It was more the sudden jump and appearance of the squirrel that chased off both pigeons than the attack and I wondered how much thought went into this clever strategy, or was it just a lucky break forced by frustration.

The other conflict was 10 yards away on the ground. There is a gravestone the smaller birds come to and I put seeds along the narrow top. A certain amount spills onto the ground and the ground feeders (blackbirds, wrens and dunnocks) prefer this. There must be a rat home somewhere near as very occasionally a rat appears from behind this war-grave. It has been a year or more since I last saw one and their appearances are rare. 

Today I was in luck and a whiskery nose came out from behind the stone. It spent quite some time assessing me - with twitching nose as much as beady eyes. Before it got up the nerve to come out a few inches from behind the stone. It was very cautious and on the dalek bark of a crow, it shot back behind the stone, before waiting 2 minutes and reappearing. In those moments I would creep another step closer and place more food slightly further out in the open to coax it out. We continued this until we were nose to nose! They are reckoned to be smart creatures and I think it worked out I was good news more than bad news, a source of food more than a predator, and it became emboldened. Although the light was poor I was able to get a few decent photos at low shutter speeds (1/60th) while it held still assessing the danger or eating. It looked a pretty healthy specimen - I reckoned a female as the males have an ungainly undercarriage visible in retreat.

the most ambitious heist of the day

now where is that almond I had my eye on
I'm sure there was one right here

The second conflict arose when this blackbird saw all the seeds on the floor and hopped down for a closer look. Unfortunately for him the competition won out, although they were suitably unnerved and then tied to quickly transport as much of the booty to a safer spot.