Daily Prompt: Seat Guru

You get to plan a dinner party for 4-8 of your favorite writers/artists/musicians/other notable figures, whether dead or alive. Who do you seat next to whom in order to inspire the most fun evening?

I don’t think so. Another daily prompt that you really cannot serve up again, the food gets cold, stale, and everyone falls asleep listening to the same conversations, so I decided to deck the table for some others. They didn’t all arrive at once, but eventually they all arrived and there were a lot more than just 4-8.

First of all I had to buy the food, in all varieties. Something to hang on the tree and something to fill the birdhouse. Of course, not all the guests like to hang on the tree and peck at the seed pods, they like to visit the house. The guests are also very sensitive to being watched. If you put one foot wrong they leave the dining table and sit in a tree, but they return when you have moved away: being shy is one of their characteristics. Who do I mean, why the birds of course.

Temperatures are falling, through the night below 0°, reaching -5°. This morning there was a layer of frost on the grass. It is no longer easy for the birds to find something beneath the icy layers and so it is time to lay the table and send invites. Actually they are not so fussy about receiving official invitations, the seeds have arrived, and so the birds arrive.

They have their conversations, like “move over, that was my sunflower seed”, or “did you see that finch, she is grabbing it all”. It is the sparrows that seem to be taking over with the organisation, but they do outnumber the rest. Now there is silence, the birds are sitting on the apple tree branches, a  tit is pecking at a hanging net packed with seeds surrounded by a fat layer, but there is one single bird. She always waits until the others have gone, she likes to eat alone, and not in the bird house. No, she is something special, our robin that visits every year. She approaches carefully and waits patiently apart from the others. Now she can pounce and take her meal, one seed after the other, it is now her territory.

Of course, the blackbirds also arrive, but bird houses are not their thing. They prefer to sit, or rather wander below, pecking their food from the ground. That is one of the reasons why I have three laid tables with food: hanging from the tree, in their private banqueting hall in the house, and on the ground. Blackbirds prefer oat flakes and peanuts, although they can be rather partial to the odd sunflower seed in between.

I noticed that I always have well fed birds in my area, but up to now none have fallen from the branch whilst attempting to fly away due to overweight, although Mr. Swiss has often told me I feed them too much. Invitations are sent from various neighbours and we all have a bird canteen in our gardens. Who needs to invited prominent people, they never really went hungry, their life was full of invitations for exclusive meals. My birds do not ask, they just wait patiently. 

“Hello Mrs. Human, we are back again.”

“Yes, same time every year.”

Topic Generator: Disturbed Session

It all began when we had our end year visit from the gardener. Mr. Swiss and I have now reached the golden oldie age where we no longer climb ladders or bend to weed the garden beds when not necessary. I did succeed in planting some bulbs for the Spring show, but my back complained and so did my legs. The gardener, a young man, naturally did all the work in the flick of a hand with help from his apprentice. My lawn had a few bare patches resulting from the tropical drought days we had in Summer and he suggested to sew some grass seeds in a rejuvenation process.

“But the birds might eat them all before they start growing.”

“No problem, I will mix them with the top earth layer and birds do not like digging for their food. I will also scatter some seeds over the surface to make sure.”

I believed this wise statement, although I did remember my birds proudly walking around with worms in their beaks, and I do not remember that the worms squirmed on the surface, but usually lived underground, but the gardener knows it better. He finished his job, sewed his seeds and departed with “see you next Spring” parting words.

The gardener had also scattered lawn fertiliser everywhere and told us to religiously spray the garden at least once a day, if not more, to ensure that the grass did not burn from the fertiliser. It was then you could see Mrs. Angloswiss before breakfast in her dressing gown watering the garden with the hose. Sometimes Mr. Swiss did it, we took turns.

A few days later I saw this in the garden.

“What do you think you are doing?” I asked the sparrows.

“Don’t ask silly questions” they chirped. “The boss said that there was a banquet at the Angloswiss estate and we should take what we could before it starts growing.”

“But I want my grass seeds to grow, I have some bare patches in the lawn.”

“Not our problem. We have to tank up with food before the cold days arrive. I am sure you don’t want hungry birds in your garden.”

“But I will then put up the bird feeding station.”

“Of course you will, but we cannot wait. By the way tell the gardener they are good seeds, very tasty.”

Something was wrong somewhere. I decided to put my green metal frog on the place where the seeds were sewn to disturb this session of grass seed pecking,  but to no avail. They just pecked around the frog. I could see my lawn rejuvenation disappearing. Then Mr. Swiss had a good idea.

“The lady opposite has covered her plants with a white special cover. That would be a good idea.”

“No problem” I answered “I have two bags full of those garden covers for the cold weather in the garden cupboard.

“Why didn’t you say so?

“Because you didn’t ask.”

Some time later I saw movement in the garden. Mrs. Swiss was collecting large stones and carrying them to the lawn. He had spread out my special plant insulating covers and weighted them down with the stones.

I now have a collection of angry birds looking down from the neighbouring trees, but the bare patches in my lawn are rescued. We will have to remove the cover temporarily tomorrow when mowey, our automatic lawn mower, goes on his journey to cut the grass, but afterwards it will be replaced again.

The Great Feline Outdoors

“Fluffy the sun is shining, we have warm temperatures and the birds are feeding.”

“Big deal Tabby, so what do we do?”

“We sit and wait until the bird has forgotten that we are there and pounce.”

“No-one will be pouncing Tabby, go and play together.”

“Felines do not play Mrs. Human, our life is concentrated on “The Importance of being Feline” based on the famous work by Oscar Wildcat. We think and therefore we are, in the words of Renée Des Cats, so do not tell us how we should approach the natural reflexes of the flying population. They are born to be supplied as our daily meal.”

“But you never seem to catch one Tabby.”

“Fluffy, be quiet, I am thinking and you will discourage my bird concentration. I think the bird does not realise I am here, it is still pecking at the delicacies supplied by Mrs. Human. I will now sleek up on the bird with my paws and pounce.”

“But Tabby.”

“Fluffy will you please hold your whiskers, the bird has now flown away due to your loud meows. You startled him.”

“And if Fluffy had not frightened the bird away, I would have done so. Birds are not in my garden as a supplement to your vitamin enriched food pellets.”

“Oh here she comes again, Mrs. Human with her food pellets. How would you like to eat dry food pellets Mrs. Human, instead of your juicy steaks, potato and vegetable.”

“That is not the question.”

“Mrs. Human it is written in the book of Bastet, chapter 992, verse 37, felines should be fed on something that once lived.”

“But your pellets lived, in another form of course. You have chicken flavoured pellets.”

“Oh, big deal, but I don’t see any chicken wings or legs, not even a feather in sight: just a brown pellet and it doesn’t make a noise either.”

WordPress Daily Feline Prompt: A Moment in Feline Time

What was the last picture you took? Tell us the story behind it. (No story behind the photo? Make one up, or choose the last picture you took that had one.)

“We took a great photo there Tabby.”

“Yes Fluffy, it was good co-operation. I balanced the camera between your ears and pressed the button with my paw. Luckily those big cameras are paw friendly.”

“But the camera was heavy Tabby. I was glad when you were finished.”

“But Fluffy, you are blind, how do you know what is on the photo.”

“That is not important Tabby, I heard the bird munching at the seeds and fluttering with her wings now and again, so I knew you were taking a photo of our dinner.”

“She was a nice bird Fluffy, I think the humans call it a blue tit. It was a shame that Mrs. Human came out and took the camera away. Just when I was thinking about making the final pounce.”

“She is a spoil sport Tabby. Always intervenes when life gets interesting. Do you think your photo would be featured in the Feline Ornithological Calendar for this year.”

“It has a good chance Fluffy. I will upload it on my paw pad and mail it to the judges. I heard that Nera is on the jury this year, so we will have a good chance.”

“Oh yes, she always puts in a good word for us in Bastet’s ear.  What is the prize if we get into the calendar.”

“A weeks holiday in the eternal corn chambers as apprentice mouse catcher to Nera.”

“Fun, do you think Mrs. Human will mind if we disappear for a week.”

“We might not win, I heard that the ginger tom from next door took a photo of that naked cat next door with a butterfly in its mouth. Apparently it is favoured for its artistic value.”

“Artistic value. I thought the culinary values were rated higher, who cares if it looks good, as long as it tastes good.”

“That is true Fluffy, I think we could begin packing our cat trays for the journey.”

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The Bird House

“Tabby, Fluffy come here!”

“Yes Mrs. Human, to your command Mrs. Human.”

“Cut the politeness, you are not usually so polite. You both have the impression that you are in charge in my home.”

“In our home, Mrs. Human, just a small correction.”

“What is that poster doing on the wall outside our home?”

“We thought that now the feeding station, sorry bird house, is in position, we could drum up some audience to watch the birds. You know how much we appreciate our feathered friends in Winter, and we thought we would invite some our our fellow felines in the neighbourhood to participate in the bird watching.”

“This does not look like an invitation, it looks more like a threat and a profit making business.”

“No, Mrs. Human, how could you? We only have good intentions. Fluffy and I, were admiring the wonderful construction of the feline feeding station for birds and we decided to share its advantages with our fellow felines.”

“And you are charging them for the purpose. I read one tin of tuna fish or a share of the hunting results. First of all I am not donating our supply of tuna fish to any feline that happens to want to do some bird watching, and there will be no hunting in my back garden, so there will be no hunting results.”

“But Mrs. Human, let us explain. In winter our feathered friends are hungry and from the goodness of your heart you are supplying seeds to help them exist throughout the cold weather. This means that the birds will be flocking in hundreds to share all the goodies. They are open to attack from other animals and we just want to protect them. If the bird house is surrounded by felines showing their claws and gnashing their teeth it will scare any other dangerous animals away. It is part of our bird protection scheme.”

“And what about the hungry felines watching the flying food chain.”

“That is the clever part Mrs. Human.They will supply us with tins of tuna fish for permission to watch or take part. All felines enjoy bird watching, it is one of our favourite sports. You will then have enough tuna fish for us without having to buy it.”

“And the hunting results.”

“In every business proposition there is an element of risk. Generally the birds are too fast for us. It is only the babies that do not get away, but in Winter there are no babies. Fluffy and I agreed to add those words, as it would encourage more of our feline friends to partake in the enjoyment.”

“Tabby, Fluffy, remove the poster at once. I want happy satisfied birds in my garden and not feathered game to satisfy the appetite of the local felines and flying in fright worried about being eaten. And if I see one feather in my home, or our home, from a sparrow, blue tit or finch, there will be no more tuna fish and I will count your vitamin pellets one by one before serving them. Is that clear?”

“What about Bubu?”

“Who is Bubu?”

“He is the chief feline in the neighbourhood and the Gato di tutti Gatti (cat of all cats). It was his idea and he paid us two tins of tuna fish to make the preparations.”

“You can tell Bubu, the boss of your cat mafia that if I find one dead bird I will have Bubu’s  whiskers as an ornament on the wall. Is that clear?”

“But Bubu will not like that.”

“I don’t care what Bubu likes. And now have one of your famous sleeps that last 22 hours and meditate about it. In the meanwhile I will tell the birds to organise a couple of crows as guards on the bird house.”

“Oh, we don’t like crows, they are so dangerous.”

“Exactly.”

WordPress Daily Prompt: Careless Whispers

It happens: sometimes that filter in our head bursts and we say too much of what we’re thinking and someone gets hurt. Tell us about a time you or someone you know said something that they immediately regretted. 

Photographers, artists, poets: show us SHAME.

The felines that own me never actually say or meow what they are thinking and they do not really care if anyone gets hurt.

“Yes Mrs. Human” said Nera “actions speak louder than words. As you can see in this feline study I was contemplating what to do with the situation. Should I wait silently until my meals on wings arrive at the birdhouse. Watch silently until a secure feeling enters the bird’s brain, in as far as they have a brain, and pounce when the bird is not expecting it. I could of course wait until my feathered victim decides to explore the regions on the ground. That would be much easier. I could then perform my “silent feline sleek motion” and pounce. That would be the surprise action. The movement for what we felines are known for.”

“Nera I did not put the bird house in the garden to complement your diat.”

“Then what was the reason? I cannot see any other point in going to the trouble of hanging a feline feeding station on a tree.”

“Yes, Nera, like feeding the birds during the cold Winter months when their normal food is scarce. I am sure you would not like our bird population to starve.”

“You are right Mrs. Human. Starving birds is not the fulfilment of a feline dream. We find them tasty when they are plump. Bony birds are difficult to swallow, but a nice piece of poultry between the teeth is more rewarding. So now do not disturb, the meals on wings do not arrive when you apply human talk. It will scare them away.”

“Nera there is a nice bowl of vitamin pellets in your feeding place in the kitchen if you are hungry.”

“Mrs. Human how would you feel if you were served a permanent meal of dry compressed chemical vitamins for your food. I am sure you would survive, but would that be the utmost in your culinary adventures. No, of course not. Mrs. Human spends time doing something human called cooking. Admittedly the aromas wafting from the kitchen range appeal now and again to my taste buds. Would you like to sit down at the table to a plate of dry pellets that you would have to chew and swallow?”

“Nera it is not the same.”

“Of course it is Mrs. Human. By the way I think I will move to the kitchen now. Did I see a mega bird in your shopping bag when you came home from your hunt in the supermarket?”

“Mr. Human and I are having chicken this evening.”

“And I, me and myself, Tabby my assistant and Fluffy my apprentice? You tell us to share our meals with each other. Perhaps we could share some chicken with you and Mr. Human, then I would not have to sit for hours waiting for an unsuspecting nice fat juicy bird to arrive.”

“No, Nera, you have your meals and Mr. Human and I have ours. Have you ever seen us actually kill a chicken and eat it uncooked?””

“That is true, but I do not have time to watch the eating habits of a subordinate mammal. I have my own problems.  And now to the kill.”

The moral of the story is never tell a feline what you are thinking. They are always a step ahead. And yes, I immediately regretted this conversation, as a subordinate human mammal is always one step behind a feline.”

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WordPress Daily Prompt: Daring Do

Tell us about the time you rescued someone else (person or animal) from a dangerous situation. What happened? How did you prevail? 

Photographers, artists, poets: show us BOLD.

Every year in Winter when the days are frozen and cold, the ground is hard and solid and food and drink are scarce, numerous birds are rescued from death by starvation. The bird house is full with seeds and other birdy food delights. Every morning you see Mrs. Angloswiss dressed in a long thermally padded black coat battling her way through ice and snow in the garden. As she has only just finished her breakfast she has not had time to shower and dress, the birds cannot wait. It is a matter of life or death. Her slippered feet are no protection against the cold, so she keeps a pair of pink crocs (garden plastic clogs) in the outside cupboard for stepping across the frozen earth.

She reaches the bird house which is suspended on the branches of a leafless apple tree and lifts it from its place, her fingers circling around the metal holder and swears a few words as the metal is bloody cold and sharp. However, undaunted she returns to the cupboard where the goodies are kept for the flying population.

It might be that she encounters a feline on the way, who promptly disappears into the garden cupboard to play adventures in the dark.

“You mean me Mrs. Human.”

“Yes, Nera I mean you, always interrupting my journey.*

“I do not play adventures in the dark, but there are all sorts of creeping things in that garden cupboard to satisfy the delight of a feline.”

“Nera, you were the star of yesterday’s daily prompt, stealing the limelight from my writing talents, today it is my turn. May I continue?”

“Sorry Mrs. Human, go ahead, I am sure you have some wise words, but how someone can spend time on writing about feeding birds in the garden is a mystery to me. Birds are meals on wings.”

“NERA!”

“Ok, Mrs. Human, but you do resemble more a clown in a circus than a good Samaritan on a bird saving mission when you are doing your good deed for the day.”

I decided to ignore the last remark. As I was saying she battles her way to the food reserves and fills the bird house to the brim. She returns and fetches another mixture, scattering it under the tree for the birds that prefer to eat on the ground. The robins are not so sociable; like to eat alone at ground level. Sparrows and robins do not mix together. The blue tits prefer a suspended food supply and mainly eat from the hanging nets in the trees filled with food.

Gatherings of birds are often to be seen, probably when the chief bird calls in his sweet chirp “Grubs up birds” and they flock together and peck at the food.

And that is my daily good deed and rescue effort.

“Yes, Mrs. Human, if they do not die at the teeth of a feline, they die of a heart attack or overweight. We have the fattest best fed birds in the neighbourhood. The sparrows are slowly throwing shadows over the blackbirds and the branches are bending under their weight.”

“Nera be quiet, I am saving the future of our local bird population.”

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Creative Challenge 278: Every Picture Tells a Story

"Excellent Mrs. Human, that is what I call a laid table, just a little correction perhaps, not that I want to intervene with your composition, but I would alter the height of the food station."

"That is not a food station Nera, that is a bird house where I put seeds for the birds to eat, so that they do not starve in the cold Winter months."

"No problem Mrs. Human, I am fully in agreement with your wonderful idea. We have to keep the birds nice and fat and thriving. I just thought that the food station, sorry bird house, might be placed more to a feline advantage, perhaps within paw distance."

"Paw distance?"

"Of course. When the winged dinners arrive I will have to jump. If the bird house as you call it is a little lower, I can just make a grab with a paw. "

"Nera I don't think you get the idea of why I have a bird house in the garden in the cold Winter months."

"Of course I do Mrs. Human and I find it commendable how you look after our feathered friends and fill them with food, very tasty."

"Tasty?"

"I mean the food you give them of course Mrs. Human. We will see how the feeding station develops for the feathered dinners, sorry birds,  and us felines. In the meantime I will keep a careful eye on the situation. Oh, look Mrs. Human, I can see the first victim approaching."

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WordPress Daily Prompt: Cliché

Clichés become clichés for a reason. Tell us about the last time a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush for you.

“No felines, I know what you are thinking, but this is a daily prompt for me, not for you and it says “A bird in the hand” not a paw.”

“Ok Mrs. Human” said Tabby, “agree, but what brilliant idea and memory do you have in this context?”

“Err, well I am thinking about it.”

“Exactly Mrs. Human, Tabby and I do not even have to think about it, the answer is quite clear. Even Fluffy our apprentice knows the answer to that one: agreed Fluffy.”

Nera the chief feline, always had the last word.

“Of course Nera. Mrs. Human first of all this cliché originated in Egypt many years ago at the time of Bast. Actually I believe she invented it. The original phrase was “A bird in the paw is worth two in the cornfield”. There were not many bushes around in Egypt at that time, but lots of corn.”

“You see, Mrs. Human, even Fluffy knows the answer to that. It is integrated in feline life. Humans stole the idea from us and reversed it to suit themselves, as usual. Do I have to explain further, the case is quite clear.”

I wanted to tell Nera that her words of wisdom were not actually necessary, but she continued all the same.

“Just look out of the window Mrs. Human, what do you see?”

“My garden.”

“No, Mrs. Human, what is in the garden, that is important. A food station for felines, commonly known in the human language as bird house. What do you put in the bird house?”

“Nera that is quite obvious, I put food in the bird house for the birds.”

“To continue, the bird house is for attracting birds, a type of nourishment that is very welcome to the feline taste buds. The problem is that the birds are sitting on the bird house and munching away at the food, so we felines have to make decisions. The bird is not yet in the paw. However, with some patience it might happen that a bird will decide to sit on the ground after feeding, to encourage the digestion. It is then that I, Tabby and Fluffy enter the stage, speaking figuratively. We sit and watch, and slowly put one paw in front of the other, not making a sound, reducing the distance between ourselves and our next meal. We have an unsuspecting bird in front of us and the quieter we are the more the chance.”

“Nera, I did not put the bird house in the garden as an alternative to your vitamine rich pellets that I feed you with.”

“Mrs. Human would you rather eat a plate of dry food than a nice juicy steak?”

“But dry food is not something that humans eat. It would be difficult to swallow.”

“Exactly Mrs. Human, but we feline victims of the human way of life, are expected to relish a dish of chicken flavoured brown pellets and swallow it. Then we drink a bowl of liquid to wash it down. The only remark I hear is “the felines have drunk a lot today”. What do you expect? We need a highlight to our boring meals now and again. Fresh bird meat is a delicacy. Not only do we have the fun of the hunt, but a reward afterwards if we catch the bird in our paw. Hence “A bird in the paw is worth two in the birdhouse.”

And Tabby and Fluffy both clapped with their paws and loud agreement in Meow was said. I decided there was nothing more intelligent to add to this conversation. Feline remains feline. 

Spring is on the way

This week I looked out of the window just before lunch and this was what I saw. Large birds all settled on the lawn opposite, pecking away on the ground. I called my bird expert, Mr. Swiss, and he confirmed that they are all Starlings, probably back from migration. However, I delved into this further and found that Starlings do not actually migrate, although they shift their territory quite often. In any case a whole tribe arrived in our little village.  Anyhow I made myself busy with the camera and here are a couple of photos I shot.

Images and Words 198 - Our feathered friends

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A new Bird mystery

Actually I was cooking lunch in the kitchen and saw this big bird sitting in a tree. Having my camera on the kitchen table (my camera is always near me), I did a quick shot. Not perfect, but birds do not wait to be photographed, they have other ideas, like eating and flying.

Anyhow after a discussion with Mr. Swiss and a look in my book of birds, we still do not really know what this it. Definitely not a blackbird (or is it?), so bird lovers and experts please point me in the right direction.

Tit Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow

This little bird gave me a mystery when he appeared in the garden. Was it a finch, or a tit. We have a book of birds at home, in German, but none the less, when you have Wikipedia on the Internet you can always switch to the english page from the German.

According to our bird book it would either be a Willow Tit, or perhaps a Marsh Tit. They look very much the same and apparently the only good way to tell the difference is to listen to their song. Good idea, but unfortunately our birds seem to have lost their song in the Winter months.  They are more into munching and stuffing themselves full of the food I put out for them.

I decided this is probably a Willow Tit, although willow trees are not very common in our area. We also do not have marsh land.

In my teenager years I often paid a visit to the opera, usually Sadlers Wells theater at The Angel in London. They now moved from The Angel. Sadlers Wells sung the operas only in the english language, being an english institution. One year they had a sort of Gilbert and Sullivan season, and I remember seeing Iolanthe and the Mikado. What does this bird have in common with the opera you may ask.

The opera Mikado is a parody on the Japanese court. Gilbert and Sullivan operas were mostly based on satire in connection with the Victorian era in England. I remembered a song in the Mikado "Tit Willow" so now I know what a Tit Willow is. 

Creative Challenge 229 - Beginnings

"What do you think Nera?"

"Not bad Tabby, not bad at all. Mrs. Human really has some super ideas now and again. Of course she gets them from me."

"What ideas do I get from you Nera?" I was getting very curious at this conversation. The two felines had been watching the bird house for at least thirty minutes, fully concentrated.

"Mrs. Human, the idea about feeding those poor hungry birds during the Winter. They can really do with some fat under their feathers in the cold weather to keep them nice and warm. Both Tabby and I think it really generous and considerate that you go out in the cold weather and fill the bird feeders with fresh food every day. Something I have been telling Tabby for some time, Havn't I Tabby?" and Nera gave an intensive stare in Tabby's direction, coupled with a jab of her paw.

"Yes, yes Nera, of course. You have been saying for some time that it looks like a small bird for each of us for Catmas dinner would be ideal. What a wonderful beginning to our Catmas festival."

"What do I hear?? There will be no birds for Catmas dinner, tea or lunch break. I am feeding the birds that they survive the cold snowy days of Winter. Not to fatten them up for a cats five star menu for a memorable begin to your feline Christmas. Do I make myself clear?"

"OK Mrs. Human, don't get all worked up. Tabby made a mistake She wanted to say that watching the small happy well fed birds at Christmas would be ideal, didn't you Tabby?" and that Nera glare was again in her yellow dagger eyes.

"Hm, well Nera, yes if you say so, I suppose so. And retract your claws when you keep prodding me."

"Well I am glad we agree on that point. Birds are to be seen but not observed as a complementary dish to your tuna fish ration. Is that now understood?"

"Yes, Mrs. Human" said the two cats together, but not taking their eyes off the movement at the bird house.

"Mrs. Human, I have one small suggestion to help our feathered dinners, sorry friends of course." said Nera. She continued. "If we are rescuing the bird population in the garden, why not extend our charitable efforts and perhaps feed some of our other feathered friends."

"Which feathered friends do you mean Nera?"

"I was watching a television programme about the Christmas meals in England and saw that nearly everyone has a turkey on the table. Tabby and I were thinking that perhaps we could have one or two turkeys in the garden. You could share your bird welfare feelings and perhaps care for them during the cold weather. They would then also grow nice and fat and we are sure they would appreciate your care."

"No, Nera, does not come into the question that I start feeding turkeys in the garden."

"But then we could share them at Catmas, one for you and Mr. Human and your two kittens and the other for Tabby, Fluffy and myself."

"What a good idea Nera, that would take care of all our problems and the sweet little flying meals on wings we would leave alone in the garden to thrive and get bigger and fatter." Tabby was proud of her brilliant idea.

"No, sorry felines, there will be no turkeys in the garden, we will be eating something else. Mr. Human and I no longer like to eat birds, we prefer beef at Christmas. And no, before you ask, we will not have a herd of cattle in the garden either. We buy our meat at the supermarket."

The last I saw of the felines was their tails swishing back and forth as they walked to their sleeping places.

"You see Nera, I told you she wasn't fattening the birds for our dinner, she feeds them out of some silly humanoid idea. Funny animals humans."

"I know Tabby, but you have to humour them now and again. Although look at that tree outside, the birds are getting so fat here they will soon be breaking the branches."

And the two felines went to sleep dreaming of their flying meals.

Chaffinch in the garden?

For some time I have been watching a bird with a reddish breast in my garden. At last a robin, I thought, but every time my camera was ready he flew away. He then discovered that at my place there is a bird house full of various bird delicacies. I have a good selection of seeds, including sunflower.

Up to now my garden has been populated by tits and sparrows. The tits peck up a seed and fly away, but the sparrows have a debate, sometimes an argument with each other, and stay awhile.  And then we have the mystery bird with the red breast.

Over the last couple of days they have started gathering and today I had success and took photos. They are "Buchfink" said Mr. Swiss. We did have a debate, but after searching through Internet I found, yes they are "Buchfink". I did realise that this was some sort of finch, so had a look in the dictionary and found that in english they are Chaffinches which are now in my garden. I am not a bird expert, and neither is Mr. Swiss, but I have taken his word for it. So here is family Chaffinch sitting in a tree in my garden. They decided that the diet at my place was suitable for cold snowy weather.

If there are any bird experts that say they are not chaffinches, but something else, then please let me know.

Here are a few more photos.

A cats Eye View of the bird world

Nera the feline took her usual fresh air walk in the garden and had to stop and stare.

"Tabby, come here. At last Mrs. Human has an intelligent idea. We now have fresh food in the garden. Forget the tins of tuna, our food now comes on its own and it's alive."

"Nera sister, you mean Mrs. Human has started breeding mice?"

"No stupid, she has hung a bird house on a tree. Couldn't be better. Those stupid birds don't know what will hit them."

This was when I decided to join in with this conversation, and steer it onto a sensible path.

"Nera, Tabby, that is not the idea. The birds have to search for their food in Winter when it is cold and starts snowing. They have to find the seeds they need to keep them alive through Winter and I am helping them."

Nera looked at me as if I was from another planet and Tabby just shook her head. Fluffy arrived from his sleeping place and held his head up.

"What can I smell?" Fluffy said. "Fresh bird meat and I feel the quivering of wings in the air. Do we have a bird cantine?"

"No Fluffy, we do not." I was becoming a little angry. "I have put a bird house up for the birds to feed."

Tabby, Nera and Fluffy now put their feline heads together and started whispiering to each other.

"Let's humour her" Nera said. "I have a brilliant idea to simplify access to the new food cupboard."

"Fine Mrs. Human, but may I make a suggestion to improve life for the birds?"

I really did not know Nera from the considerate side, so decided to strike the iron while it was hot.

"Of course, Nera, I am sure the birds would appreciate any feline suggestion to their benefit."

"I was thinking that the bird cantine is a bit high on the tree. Those poor birds will be exhausted flying up to reach it all the time. Why not place it on the ground. It would be much easier for the birds."

"Yes Mrs. Human" joined in Tabby and Fluffy together, "that is a super idea, would make life much easier for our feathered lunch, sorry friends of course."

"No, felines. I might be your slave, but I am not stupid. The idea is to maintain bird life in the surroundings and not destroy it."

"I can feel bird movement in the apple tree and hear munching sounds" said Fluffy, who is blind.

"Your are right Fluffy. Mrs. Human as put up a supermarket in the tree branches. The birds are hanging on the food balls with their claws. Now that is an easy job. Just jump and snatch. Nera and I will let you have your share Fluffy, when we are full up."

"Enough" I said. "That is not a supermarket for bird lunch, but a feeding parcel for the birds: a mixture of seeds and fat to keep them warm and safe through the Winter." I was getting a little annoyed at the way this discussion was going. "If one of you felines touch so much as a feather on a birds wing, it will be house arrest for the Winter and the only tuna fish you will see will be in a tin with the lid firmly on it. One jump up a tree branch and I will throw the tin opener away. Have I made myself clear?"

There was as feline silence for a while. They were talking in telepathy to each other, something I had not yet been able to learn. Nera being the spokesfeline looked at me with her big yellow eyes.

"Mrs. Human, we think that your line of logic and reasoning needs something to be desired, but you being a human, we will excuse your mistaken thoughts. Comparing a winter inside without tuna fish with a bird meal, we have decided to let the birds roam and take advantage of your new garden concept. Bearing in mind that we felines do not like snow or cold weather and weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of the situation, we have decided to defer from any mouth watering attempts to have a blue tit for breakfast, a sparrow for lunch and a yellow tit for tea."

"That is very considerate of you Nera, Tabby and Fluffy - TABBY COME DOWN FROM THAT TREE"

"Sorry Mrs. Human just following my instinct. We cats love to climb trees especially if there is a house on it for ....."

"Shhhhh, Tabby, she doesn't have to know everything. My eyes are now strained with so much good food flying around, I now need a rest. What do you think felines?" Nera intervened.

"You are right Nera, there are better things to do than bird watching after all" said Fluffy and Tabby and all three cats crawled through the cat flap and went to their favourite sleeping places. I was sure I could hear them meowing in their sleep - "a laid table for meals, and it is not even flying around."

Creative Challenge #221 - Flight/Fly

"Whew now that was a narrow escape. Those cats sleek up on you when you really don't expect. Not a sound, not a murmer."

"Meow, what do you expect bird, you were supposed to be my dinner and tea."

"Forget it Tabby cat. You might have a MacDonalds "M" on your forehead, but that certainly does not give you the right to deprive five young chicks of a father on the search for a juicy worm. Those baby birds are the personification of a recycling machine. Feed them and it arrives at the other end in a few seconds and so you have to feed them again. So just leave us birds in peace until the brood has flown out."

"Hey bird, can you tell me when the flying out day is?"

"So that you and your feline pack can take the pickings? Forget it. Their flying out day is between me and the missus. We didn't hatch those eggs for them to be the breakfast, dinner and tea of a feline tribe. How would you like your kittens to be fed on by a wandering animal, or taken off to a lair to be fed on the chicks."

"No problem" answered the Tabby cat. "We cats are too fast and stealth to make a meal for another animal, and forget the birds. They are too stupid. And Mrs. Human said there will not be any kittens."

"If I was stupid Tabby, I would now be sitting in your stomach amongst digestive juices. We are fast and notice every movement in the air."

"We are even faster. I just let you go, as Mrs. Human called that our tuna fish portions were ready."

"You see how stupid you are, relying on humans for a meal. By the way Tabby, the godparents of my babies are the chief crow and his missus and they would do anything to keep their godchildren safe."

"I didn't see any crows when I was about to pounce."

"You think so?" said a deep booming voice from the tree. "We were watching Tabby, and if you had bent one little feather on our friend the blackbirds body, we would have pounced. Your body would have been clamped in our claws and now we would be have Christmas and Thanksgiving day all at once on your remains."

"Foget it crow. We are fast and agile."

"And we can fly" said the crow and the blackbird together.

Tabby decided to go home. There was no feline argument against flying and  afterall there was a plate of tuna fish waiting and she did not have to hunt for that or try to catch it. It was all ready  in a dish.Cats could not fly, that was true, but Tabby was glad. She was shortsighted and suffered from vertigo. The top of a cupboard was the highest observation post she could manage, but trees were not her thing. She made a mental note of sticking to fish and mice. Birds were not so interesting, especially when crows were involved.

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Saturday

I decided to go shopping this morning with Mr. Swiss. I was clearning up a bit at home and Mr. Swiss decided to make himself comfortable in the kitchen with the newspaper, but there was a small problem.

Yes, this was the problem. How do you sit on a chair in the kitchen, when it is occupied by Fluffy. As Mr. Swiss wanted to pull the chair out a cat was sitting comfortable on it. It took a bit of persuasion, but when Fluffy realised that things were much nicer out in the garden, he moved. By then the newspaper was being read in the living room. Fluffy soon made himself at home outside and seemed to enjoy the fresh air.

Eventually I was ready and we went to the supermarket. In the meanwhile Flufy had curled up on his favourite chair, not under the kitchen table, and settled down for a sleep.

My other two cats were having their daily sleep on top of the cupboard so all was quiet at home. Cats seem to sleep 80% of the day and the remainder eating and thinking about where to sleep next.

I had an appointment at the hairdressers in the afternoon so took a walk into town. Although the sun was shining there was a very cold wind blowing. I decided to walk home from town this time along the river. To get to the river I had to cross a park where they have an aviary with some odd birds. I am preparing the photos at the moment, but I just loved these two. It seemed that the cold weather didn't bother these birds, although they probably come from warmer countries.

I arrived home after getting through about 50 photos on my camera, but are still preparing them.