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| The peregrine chicks yesterday evening. You can also see their perching father's shadow. |
For several years, peregrine falcons have raised young on the tower of St George's Church in the centre of Sheffield. I have blogged about this before. Bird lovers from around the world can watch the nest activity from the comfort of their own homes. Go here.
This year there are two hungry chicks and they are gradually losing their downy feathers, reaching the point where they will fledge and leave their lofty nest. Let us hope that they do not end up living on local grouse moors where covertly, landowners have encouraged the shooting of raptors that might affect the highly questionable "joy" of grouse shooting expeditions.
When I returned to Clint, high at the top of Shatton Lane, i finished reading "Yorkshire - A Lyrical History of England's Greatest County" by Richard K. Morris. Of course, being a proud Yorkshireman I had really looked forward to reading this book but I found it kind of fragmented. Good in parts but hard going in others.
Born on the same day as me but six years earlier, Morris is by profession and academic enquiry an archaeologist. That historical background is very evident in the book. By the way, it is worth noting that he is not a Yorkshireman but someone who has lived here most of his adult life having married a Yorkshirewoman to whom the book is dedicated.
Topics it swerves round include the Viking invasion, The City of Sheffield and the manufacturing of steel products, William Wilberforce the great anti-slavery campaigner, land ownership and grand houses, football, cricket, The Yorkshire Dales and popular music. It's as if Morris dipped his hand in the Yorkshire bran tub and came out with twelve parcels, leaving various others behind.
However, to give the book its credit it revealed to me many things I did not know about my home county and some passages were absorbing - including illuminating tales of wartime conscientious objectors and how the legends of Robin Hood are connected with the county's Barnsdale region between Doncaster and Pontefract. I also learnt about Inclesmoor to the south of The Humber - a large watery settlement of the middle ages of which there is virtually no trace left behind.
Yesterday, I planted out four healthy courgette plants and sowed three rows of seeds - white radishes, lollo rosso lettuce and purple sprouting broccoli. I gave everything a good soaking with my hose...no, not that one! After three months with very little rain, Yorkshire Water are already warning households to be sensible about water usage as our reservoirs are now only 70% full. Maybe we should all do a raindance.
Finally, R.I.P. George Floyd - cruelly killed by a policeman in Minneapolis on May 25th 2020. No wonder fires are now burning. The rage is always there - just waiting to be ignited.
I'm reading a book right now that my son found me in a used book store. It's called "The Other Florida" and it came out in 1963 or '64. It's about this area of Florida and the author was quite a naturalist and a good observer. It's a startling reminder of how much has changed in the last sixty years around here. It's interesting to read about our own areas, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes. Even though we might live somewhere - it doesn't necessarily mean that we know all there is to know about that place.
DeleteYou have to forgive Richard Morris for not writing about ALL the fascinating items of interest to come from England's Greatest County. He would never have lived long enough to complete his book.
ReplyDeleteThat is true JayCee. It would run to several volumes.
DeleteLove the peregrine nest. I pity the poor sod with the camera (haha). I saw that footage of the George Floyd arrest. The USA should collectively hang their heads in shame for allowing such barbarism to still take place in the land of the free.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that footage and the resulting riots appearing on TV with "The Star Spangled Banner" being sung slowly and evocatively by a soul singer. The counterpoise would be powerful.
DeleteI agree with you completely Addy. Many of us are hanging our heads in shame as we have done too many times before. It is obscene that these things continue to happen and they have in fact gotten worse since our current president has indirectly encouraged such people to act out. I am ashamed and I do what I can to help but it's never enough.
DeleteTrump tweeting "When the looting starts the shooting starts" is disgraceful. Pouring oil on troubled waters.
DeleteMore like pouring petrol on troubled fires.
DeleteThe Inclesmoor! I know it well.
ReplyDeleteWell I had never heard of it even though I have actually been there with my camera!
DeleteSounds like the perfect book for you! I hope those birds grow up to live in a safe place.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought when my friend Tony sent it to me... but in the end I was not entirely satisfied with it.
DeleteSounds a good book YP. Thank God for Pudsey and Cricket.
ReplyDeleteI think it is one of a series. You should read "Lancashire - A Lyrical History of England's Fourteenth Greatest County".
DeleteFourteenth is quite good, I don't even know how many counties there are in England. Did Sir Geoffrey Boycott write it or maybe Michael Parkinson? Manchester United fans like myself,
ReplyDeleteMr and Mrs Google just told me that there are 48 counties in England. Lancashire is pretty high up the table.
ReplyDeleteFourteenth. Just behind Herefordshire and Norfolk.
DeleteIt is so cool to see the peregrine nest. I love it when there are the live camera feeds of animals and birds. You can find them from all over the world. Thanks for telling us about this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry the Yorkshire book was not as good as you had hoped. I'm surprised you did learn anything new from it being such a hardcore Yorkshire man yourself! I bet you could write an excellent book about your lovely home and I know you could provide the photographs for it! A Photographic Journal of Yorkshire by Mr. Y. Pudding!
Trouble is, I take many of my pictures in Derbyshire Bonnie! That's my excuse for not even attempting the book you suggest but thanks for the kind thought.
DeleteYour last two sentences are absolutely true. How can it take people forever to see this point. Each time the fire gets bigger and harder to put out.
ReplyDeleteIn policing people there must be humanity and respect. After all it is the people who pay the salaries of law enforcers.
DeleteI like the old archaeology books best, the new wave of archaeologists now put new age theories in their writings, think phenomenology ;)
ReplyDeleteI remember your peregrine posts. I think it's wonderful bringing them to everyone's notice with the webcam. But then I tend to remember more about birds than I do about most other things.
ReplyDelete