Field Peas Ormiston Fife

Field Peas on Ormiston Farm North Fife. Amazingly on approach to take the photo Crows arose aplenty, I didn't realise that they feasted on peas, the few wood-pigeon in shot I can understand but "crows". Anyway, the peas are machine harvested, podded and frozen on the field to secure us with very fresh quality pulses.
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North Fife Upper Flisk Crows on Christmas Day

North Fife Upper Flisk Crows on Christmas Day. Every year crows arrive en masse, swirl and burrel about, call and view each other.
In my life I have had many close encounters with crows. In Tibetan Buddhism Crows make the sound of the Dharma, Buddhist teaching. Ka, first letter of the Alphabet contains Ah, sacred syllable corresponding to the throat centre. Many years ago, I was commissioned to design and make a prayer wheel for a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery and during the process a crow would wake me by banging on a window of the house. Sometimes I would try to surprise it, it usually caught me out. Now this bird would even enter an open window and strut about on the design drawing, it had a wee white tuft of white feathers on its breast. This apparently signified it belonged to the pantheon of protectors, Mahakala, the Great Black. Anyway the prayer wheel was completed and the crow went away, until later when repairing one. So, for me the sight and sound of crows is something else.

North Fife Crows Jan 19th 2009

North Fife Crows today Jan 19th 2009 have begun to congregate just by my house at Flisk. I love their chatter and constant communication.

Tayview today 19th Jan. The weather is cold with gentle large flaked snow showering and settling in the garden but not in the adjacent fields below. Frequently we are on a snowline. The river Tay was as calm as a millpond.

Newburgh Scarecrows North Fife

Today in Newburgh North Fife as indicated in the last post, I had a wander about to find scarecrows. Folk Art at some of its best, spontaneous creative sculptures with scarecrow being the theme and to my mind quite equal and valid as lauded fine art. Full of wit, aptness and ingenuity, very much a community project helped by a prize of £100-00 for the adjudged winner. Not a bad incentive though the focus is on Fun.

Leaning against the wall (as many have over the years) of the just reopened Ship Bar and Restaurant. A refurbishment and enlargement to a very high standard in design, fittings and decor.

Lindores Abbey ruins.

Horses for courses.



Last Orders north fife with one man and his dog went to blow away the meadow even when weak at the knees.


Anonymous Laing museum goer.

A striking reminder of the Odd Fellows March at Hogmanay.


The buses do arrive eventually.

Entering Newburgh from the East on the Boundary Road.

You see it all.

An angelic presentation at the Tayside Institute. I thought the theme was scarecrows?

Twist and Fibre inviting interest in loot.

Could this be a self portrait in Shuttlefield. Forgive me if I'm right but it is in fun.

This is the old lady who lived in a shoe and didn't know what to..... except scarecrows.

Stop by at Hatters and you could be Alice in Wonderland.

Fiona expressing her sentiments.




Newburgh High Street chimney sweep at it.

Someone hanging out at the memorial fountain.
There are bound to be others I've not seen but it's self evident that the impact on crows will be minimal though the Jackdaws are less noisy and who knows.

Crow Country North Fife

Crow Country North Fife, Just about everywhere is crow country and I am delighted to come across this book. I have had many interactions with these birds in my life, an example earlier posted on this blog. The Prayer Wheels.
A review of this book by "Big Jim" London UK.
Ever since I saw two crows (mother and father I presume) dive-bombing our cats who were near to their young fledgling who was taking his first "flight" from the nest in the tree at the back of our garden, I have been fascinated by their behaviour in particular and by the other crows in the neighbourhood in general. This has proven interesting indeed as the original crows' nest has been used again and again by presumably the same pair, who have raised more babies since the dive bombing incident. Their cawing in the morning has become our dawn chorus and whilst ostensibly a common occurrence, just by paying a bit more interest in these events has increased my enjoyment of our garden.
Now to this book. It is the latest in a recent line of excellent nature based books, which have extolled the hidden beauty of britain and the pleasure to be found in studying the apparently commonplace. This book especially scores because it charts a human journey and joy in an apparently bland landscape and quite frankly just wmakes you want to go out there and see these magnificent birds in action.
This book is shorter than some of it's peers and might have benefitted from some photographs or pictures, but I guess you can get these in any other bird guide so there you go. Crow Country

a lovely book

Birds North Fife

A congregation of Gulls and Crows.

Today driving home uphill to Black Earnside lay-by from Newburgh North Fife the fields both sides were full of birds, several thousand, mainly crows and gulls with flocks of other smaller kinds. Quite a sight, By my stopping they mostly took to flight. Why they congregate in this way is beyond my understanding, what are they communicating to each other? and why do they do it?

Balmerino North Fife

Balmerino (Scottish Gaelic: Baile Meireanach) is a small village and former monastic centre in Fife, Scotland. It is the home of Balmerino Abbey and the former abbots of Balmerino who were great regional landlords. It became a secular lordship (see Lord Balmerino) at the beginning of the 17th century and fell into ruin. The village is now an official Conservation Area.

Balmerino Parish church situated at Bottom Craigs, half way to the Gauldry.
Balmerino is also "celebrated" by a poem by William McGonagall - said to be the English language's worst poet - "Beautiful Balmerino".

Beautiful Balmermo on the bonnie banks of Tay,
It's a very bonnie spot in the months of June or May;
The scenery there is charming and fascinating to see,
Especially the surroundings of the old Abbey,

Which is situated in the midst of trees on a rugged hill,
Which visitors can view at their own free will;
And the trees and shrubberies are lovely to view,
Especially the trees on each side of the avenue

Which leads up to the Abbey amongst the trees;
And in the summer time it's frequented with bees,
And also crows with their unmusical cry,
Which is a great annoyance to the villagers that live near by.

And there in the summer season the mavis sings,
And with her charming notes the woodland rings;
And the sweet-scented zephyrs is borne upon the gale,
Which is most refreshing and invigorating to inhale.

Then there's the stately Castle of Balmerino
Situated in the midst of trees, a magnificent show,
And bordering on the banks o' the silvery Tay,
Where visitors can spend a happy holiday.

As they view the castle and scenery around
It will help to cheer their spirits I'll be bound;
And if they wish to view Wormit Bay
They can walk along the braes o' the silvery Tay.

Balmerino beach on the Tay estuary looking west. Due to past volcanic activity north fife is littered with associated minerals and semi precious gems. In the fields geodes can be found and on this beach quartz, agates, cornelian, amethysts, jasper. People sit and sift, actually by scooping up a bucket full and taking home, you would be amazed at the richness and variety.

Looking East across the river Tay to Dundee.

Monks walk which runs from Balmerino Abbey to the Gauldry. This the view on the road from Kirkton of Balmerino.

Buzzard North Fife

Buzzard casting an eye on me, it's not often one can get so close but it was probably as fed up about the early winter condition as I am. The wind is off the north east bringing cold arctic weather. When it's off the east snowfall can be high, at the moment it's patchy, lets hope it stays that way. The buzzard population in north fife has increased considerably of the last 10 years, they fly in groups calling to each other or alone where they are often mobbed by smaller birds particularly crows.

Birds at Blackearnside North Fife

Birds at Blackearnside North Fife. Right now daily birds congregate on and in the air over the fields at Blackearnside, mainly crows, gulls, pigeons and starlings. Why? I wonder.

Harvey Holton North Fife

In this house at Corbie Hill North Fife ( hill of the crows ) lives Harvey Holton one of Scotlands better poets. Harvey writes mainly in Scots and next week you can meet him and maybe hear a poem.

Herring Gulls North Fife

Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)Here on this hill at BlackEarnside near Newburgh yesterday, many occupying a perch which seem to be favoured spots. The field often visited by flocks of other birds at different times of the year. Crows, Pinkfoot Geese, Starlings, always this field, there must be something about it that I can't fathom.

 

Garden Poultry North Fife October

Not able to get about with ease at the moment my gaze is closer to home. I love my poultry.

Our Cockerel. He struts his stuff in the garden, crows a lot but really looks after the hens, scratches about and calls them to eat and stands guard. Quite charming to watch. He has a mixed bag of offspring, all different.

The white one, offspring of the cock. There are two more about six weeks old, one black and the other brown.