one for sorrow, two for joy

three for a girl, four for a boy


so what's five for? there are five magpies in the garden here, two pigeons and an assortment of blackbirds, robins other common or garden birds (but no geese) and a squirrel
.
the magpies gang up on the other wildlife and are quite a posse to be contended with. . . (if contention is your bag; it's not mine - I'm a peace-loving, easy-going, if-I-was-a-hippie-I'd-drive a Splittie-with-hand-knitted-cushions-and-home-made-curtains-softie at heart)

14 comments:

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

It's an ornithological battleground outside our place. The curlews and the oystercatchers have been rowing for a couple of weeks, now the blackheaded gulls have moved in to pick off any fledglings. The skylark never had a hope. Black-back gulls are about now threatening everyone and there's a skua patrolling, scaring the pants off everyone else. It's exhausting to watch.

mig bardsley said...

I heard a magpie fight for the first time on holiday - it was like the end of the world or the arrival of 'the thing' from, er, somewhere!
Quite a shocking noise coming from such pretty birds :)

We've got a flycatcher nesting in our wistaria and are hoping the cats don't find the nest.

mig bardsley said...

Five for a letter?

Rimshot said...

I feel I'm quite lacking in the knowledge of things botanical and ornithological. How is it that you all come to know such things? Is it taught in the UK?

Also, what's a Splittie and do I need one?

Mel said...

I'm so glad shot asked! (saves me from askin'!)

I don't even wanna tell you about the zoo in our back yard going absolutely bonkers.
I think it's the baby deal--poor Seemore and Seeless get their rearends pecked just trying to cross the yard.
But Frank....was washing his little ground squirrel face in the fountain and was too darn cute!

Made the whole day worthwhile, yaknow?

BAD magpies!
Naughty!

(sometimes works with the grackles--maybe it'll work with those meanie birdies, too?)

Mel said...

Gotta tell ya...my vocabulary got expanded JUST by reading here this evening.

Now---if I just knew what in the heck the words meant.....LOL

<--going to look up definitions

Mel said...

One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a girl, four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss
Ten for a bird that's best to miss.



*shrugs*
That's what himself says.
I have NO clue....LOL....I just smiled, nodded and thanked him kindly.

Dave said...

I was just about to recite that poem, but Mel beat me.

Greg said...

It always makes me smile how tolerant my dogs are of birds in the garden. They can be laid on the lawn with Blackbirds or Sparrows hopping around a few inches in front of them and there's no stress at all. Pigeons, however, are another matter and can't even settle on the fence without being serious "woofed" at!

mig bardsley said...

But how many for a letter then? (Magpies?)
Is a splittie one of those ancient little Renaults (or was it VW) with a front windscreen you could open one side or the other? And a hinge down the middle?
Am I imagining this car? And the letters?

Mel said...

Good and happy Monday morning to you, ma'am!

<-- making 'yikes' noises with all the lightening and thunder happening here...

Yikes!

Gordie said...

FF is the King of the Magpies

dinahmow said...

Mel got in first with the Magpie rhyme.
For Mig: it's sneezes. One for a kiss, two for a squeeze, three for a letter, four for something better.

Or so my mother used to say...She also used to tell me the Hobby-a (hobby horse) would get me. I wonder if she really knew what the hobby horse represented?!!!

(And anyone who knew Trumpton must also remember Magpie on tv.)

Mel said...

Oh boy.......now I've gotta go nab the Brit again!

Sheeeeeeshhhhhhh. LOL