I used to live in a small town, then in a big city (university times) with loads of parks and loughs. Just before I came to Ireland I would live about 500 yards from woods where I could go for walks, spy on birds with binoculars (I shared a house with an ornitologist), and relax. Woods were also an escape from the noise of the school where I used to teach.
I have been thinking about moving out of Cork city for a long time now but ... easier thought than done. Especially for someone who is single, lives alone, and does not want to share with strangers. For someone who has friends but none of them is planning any move any time soon. Well, for someone who is a bit of a free spirit too.
I will move for sure though - sooner or later.
This pic is from times when I used to live in a house with a garden (Cork's south side). I moved just because the atmosphere there was unbearable and the garden was not much of a help or escape.
Here it goes. I am not sure what species of bird it is.
I would ask her but I no longer keep in touch with my ex-housemate.
4 comments:
Great blog, thanks for dropping by mine ;)
My first instinct would be that it's a female blackbird. You'll usually hear her before you see her, cos she'll be hopping around in the undergrowth. I see lots of them every day. I would have expected the girl in your picture to have more orange on her beak. of course i could be wrong AGAIN!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Amsel_Weibchen_aufgeplustert.jpg
Coming from the country, i found living in the city manageable for a few years only. Once i got all the partying and thrill of a new environment out of my system, I could never get over the fact that your neighbors didn't care whether you lived or died, as long as you didn't annoy them.
The neighbors are just too far away to annoy :)
Even though I'm immersed in nature all day long, i find myself most relaxed lying down in the grass, and just listening, observing and enjoying nature all around me.
i agree with you completely on the city vs country feelings. i live in a big city now, but it was never ever my ambition. as people were moving away from my smallish hometown in droves, i watched them go with amazement and wondered why they were so anxious to go to a sea of asphalt, concrete, noise and crowds.
the answer, for many, was: jobs.
and now i am among them. but it is the park near our house and the morning walks by the lake that keep me sane. good luck with your plan to move out of cork city some way. your soul needs it!
Thanks Vic, Shep, and Laurie. I think you are right Shep - it is a black bird. Female black birds look like it and also the juvenile ones. I may get a book on birds in Poland and here in Ireland so that I know the Polish and English names of birds. Laurie, I hope you enjoyed your trip. Thank you for your post; I hope I will move soon. I will keep you updated. It is a long story how I ended up here but hopefully soon I will have a nice place with a garden. I am jealous Shep - it is my dream to lie in the grass and look upwards and around.
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