BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH Have you noticed how many birds there are in the garden at the moment? During the cold weather after New Year we’ve been inundated with blackbirds and other thrushes, tits and finches. Bullfinches, stocky black and pink fellows who show a distinctive white rump when flying away, are as exciting to [...]
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Posts Tagged ‘sparrow’
31 January 2010 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH
Sunday, January 31st, 201027January 2010 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman ROADKILL
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010ROADKILL Randy dog foxes are on the move. The lust inside males of this species seems to be as strong as that which grips two-legged mammals. In these long dark months before the spring he’s out and about, hot-footing it through the landscape in search of a mate. I saw three stark signs of sex in [...]
Read More »25 December 2009 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman THE SOIL IS COLD
Friday, December 25th, 2009THE SOIL IS COLD The soil is cold but, because this is where I want to be, it’s not a problem. The cold soil feels ace. So does the weeded edge and bright, squinty-eyed view across open plot, the fresh wash of breeze across my cheeks, chatter of spadger starling et al, drop dead gorgeous [...]
Read More »20 December 2009 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman TIME OUT ON OLD TOWN STREET
Sunday, December 20th, 2009TIME OUT ON OLD TOWN STREET Sitting with a soya latte, Old Town Street-side, the centre of Plymouth, last day of On The Plot On Tour. “It’s lovely in the sun,” I say to a whistling early riser at a table t’other side of the door. He nods agreement. “Tis low this time of year,” [...]
Read More »3 November 2009 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman TIME TO PICK SOME KALE
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009At lunchtime flocks of spadgers rise a-twittering from betwixt the rows of raspberries and beetroot to hide amongst hawthorn trees. My slipping stumble along the path prompts their flight. I stand and look and think that they must be peeking back at me. In the Abbey School playground, children’s voices loud and clear. A jet [...]
Read More »13 September 2009 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman MOMENTS OF CLARITY, AN EMPTY SKY
Sunday, September 13th, 200913 September 2009 MOMENTS OF CLARITY With the fresh winds come a sense of clarity. Looking over the plot you can beginning to see what’s in store as winter approaches. Against the light-brown of a dry surface and under blue sky with white fluffy clouds, mid-September offers much in the way of promises for the [...]
Read More »30 August 2009 DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman SUNDAY MORNING AT THE END OF AUGUST, THREE LADS ON BIKES IN MISTY SHASTON, SOUNDS OUTSIDE THE BACK PASSAGE
Sunday, August 30th, 200930 August 2009 SUNDAY MORNING AT THE END OF AUGUST (Yesterday afternoon and) This morning the plots were full of allotment folk bending backs, hoeing, cutting, shifting piles of this and that. As a feather-soft drift of misty rain came in westerly before lunchtime, with quiet focus so we worked. Much to do, not a [...]
Read More »25 July DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman HOUSE MARTIN ON THE EDGE, AT EASE ON THE PLOT
Saturday, July 25th, 200925 July 2009 HOUSE MARTIN ON THE EDGE The nestling house martin above our front door is fairly well grown now. It has a white throat which puffs visibly with every trilling chirrup from the little entrance/exit hole at the mouth of its nest. This is an inquisitive youngster, emerging sometimes almost to the shoulder, [...]
Read More »2 June 2009: DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman ‘THE BIG LUNCH’ LATEST
Tuesday, June 2nd, 20092 June 2009 ‘THE BIG LUNCH’ LATEST… This is an Eden Project inspired national event happening wherever people feel the urge to get thier local communities together on Sunday 19th July 2009. If you Google The Big Lunch then all you need to know is there. Essentially the idea is to stop what you’re doing [...]
Read More »21 May 2009: DIRTY NAILS’ BLOG by Joe Hashman TIME PASSES QUICKLY, THE LIGHT ON THE ALLOTMENT
Thursday, May 21st, 200921 May 2009 TIME PASSES QUICKLY It’s lunchtime. I’m in the van parked up on Breach Common. There’s a song thrush repeating a constant triplicate series of different notes from woodland beyond the willowherb below. A fairy fluff of windborne seeds waft across on a breeze from the west. Pussy willow maybe? It’s a fabulous [...]
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