Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Move Along Now - No Sodomy Here

Last year a pair of goldfinches nested in a standard growing in the nursery. Luckily, as Bert had grown it from a slip of privet that our old dog Danny had pulled out of a hedge, it was definitely not for sale. Danny had this crazy habit when travelling in the van where he'd snatch and bite at bits of hedges in overgrown lanes. They seemed to rile him.

So Bert grew this bit of privet into a very nice standard. It's about eight years old now and he's been offered good money for it on many occasions. But as I said it's not for sale. We don't have Danny any more but we do have his tree and it will be planted at our new house. Old Danny is already planted there under a mountain ash if I recall correctly.

Last year's goldfinches raised the young ones successfully but they're not the last birds to fail to make a distinction between nursery stock and other nest-building options. This year we have wrens nesting within a group of six larches in the polytunnel. Those larches should be stood outside but they cannot be moved or sold until the wrens are done with them.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whats the law on selling birds? or even giving them away with the tree? Perhaps if paddy spent more time in the polytunnel, the wrens wouldn't - i dont know. Anyway, i'm sure the tree'll look beautiful in your new garden and save paddy the bother of having to mark the old boys burial site.
hope all is well, bert too
mikeyboy x x x

Nelly said...

Bert is having to sleep in the polytunnell to protect wrens and wrenlets from Harry de Cat. We're well. Hope to be seing you before summer's end.

Anonymous said...

That makes more sense i guess! Just let me know when the house warming is, or any other date that'd suit, and i'll book my ticket. Cant wait to get over again, isn't summer without a trip to the backey - cant believe its been two years since we spent the whole summer there! If you've lost my number/email, just say
Mickey x

Nelly said...

I'm so sharp I'm gonna cut myself one of these days - ;)