The may is over, replaced now by buttercup, bramble and foxglove. The rhododendrons have dropped as much flower as they've retained and the early trees are swelling their fruits.
Three weeks ago the blackbird pair were rushing round the lawn, collecting beak-fulls of invertebrates, but then a strange change took place. Instead of having shadows that sat correctly on the ground that moved with the same grace and speed as them, they developed shy shadows that liked to keep to the borders. These shadows would hop two steps behind and slowly, just occasionally catching up to touch beaks as though trying to re-attach themselves. These new, paler shadows slowly spent more and more time out in the open until, last week, I saw one out on its own. Still copying the movements of its original, still slightly hesitant, but looking more and more like the female.
After mowing the lawn last week I noticed a pot of herbs that had been taken over by ants. The soil level was three inches up in the centre and the poor plant was struggling to keep above the surface. This morning I watched the female blackbird take an ant bath in the sun, attacking the mound with her beak and then letting the ants climb her half-open wings to deal with the parasites. She'd knock a few ants off when they tickled too hard and then peck some more to keep a fresh supply coming. In the sun I think I saw she had her proper shadow back.
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