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Sunday 29 September 2013

Michaelmas Day

After a really lovely St Michael's Day service this morning.  Good sermon, readings and singing.  We sang Cantate Domino very well indeed and finished the service quite pleased with ourselves.

It was a really beautiful day, the sort of day I feel should always mark this very important Saints Day.

The sun was too warm and inviting to ignore so I set about cutting back some of the Hibiscus and Buddleia  (avoiding that which was still blooming).

I became aware after a few minutes that there was a collared dove sitting a couple of feet from me on a Buddleia stump,  quietly eyeing my activities without fear or any apparent desire to fly.  So I went back into the house and collected my camera, sure that he would take off in a panic.

To my amazement he just sat there and let me get quite close before closing his eyes and settling down for a snooze.

When I had had enough and needed my coffee - around 1.30pm - he was still sitting there but flew off as I shut the back door.

The picture is not all that good but it is possible to see that my Michaelmas visitor was very relaxed.

6 comments:

  1. I think it's a lovely picture, Ray! He looks a lovely chap!

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  2. They really are rather appealing when they're young aren't they Broad.
    I did find it a bit worrying that he let me get so close, thinking he might be injured, but he was just very laid back.

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  3. How nice to share your coffee break with this lovely avian neighbor!

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  4. Yes indeed. though I did draw the line at his choice of coffee.

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  5. He must have been intuitive enough to know that you could be entirely trusted, Ray. Such a bonny little chap.

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  6. He was a very soft still fairly downy bird, too young perhaps to have learned to mistrust other creatures.
    I have found that stillness is the least alarming approach to most birds and animals. Sudden movement appears to 'spook' them.

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