Okay. So, I'm a bit of a Bird Nut, among other things. Yeah? Thinking about the wild birds around me takes up a fair proportion of my attention, every day. It's like I'm always up to something, concerning them.
Feeding them, 7 / 52, is a given. But, more than that, lately I've been focusing on 'Baiting' them. Luring them into certain, tightly defined corners. Places I can build up their numbers, ready for the day we catch the lot and Ring them.
I have a separate feeder station, over in the corner of the home acre. It's heaving with small birds, all day, every day. We can put a Mist Net across for them.
But, I have designs on some bigger stuff too. I've been Ground Baiting, with rolled oats, for about three weeks now. Already I'm getting half a dozen or so Magpies and fifteen or more Rooks. I want to Ring that lot!
To this end, as I wait for my Single Clap Net mesh to be made, I'm planning to set up a Crow Trap for them. That's why my aviary has been down there this past few days. Door open and half the roof off. They're already used to it. Feeding right outside.
And I stand up, every hour or so, and record a swift head count. So many magpies. So many rooks. Maybe half a dozen newly arrived starlings? I'll be adapting the trap to catch those too. I'm loving it!
But, nothing on earth prepared me for what I saw, when I looked out, at eleven this morning! And here, let me just remind ye; I'm completely isolated here. This is Wild country. People, out here, are like individual ants on their own football pitch. One for every tens of acres of open land.
That's why I was so wiped out to see the Fox! No kidding! Fuckin' real, live, large as life, gloriously healthy and full coated fox! And it's crouching there, in broad daylight, scarfing down my rolled oats as half a dozen magpies pranced nonchalantly around it!!!
I couldn't believe my fucking eyes! Sixty yards away. I was plainly watching its jaws work as it chewed! Big, orange powder puff of immaculate, full winter coat.
None of ye scrawny, skinny, mangy fuckin' urban kebab killers. This was a pure bred, wild as all hell, totally naturally living, free Irish fox. What a fucking beauty!
Watched this thing, on and off, for half an hour or so. Magpies never once bothered it or by it. They just pranced around, helping themselves too. What a fantastic spectacle!
Best bit was, when foxy had eaten his / her fill? They got up and wandered inside the aviary, for a look round! Inspected the mesh for a bit. Looked around some. Then languidly sauntered off into the cover of the rough down there.
Brilliant!
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