Birch seed scales are currently falling in the garden thanks to the feeding of siskins (grønnsisik)….
Added videos of a siskin feeding on fallen birch seed next to the entrance to the garden…this one allowed me to stand only 2m away and film:

…and above the siskins were feeding in the birch trees

…joined briefly by a Robin

…and showing the proximity to the road

My visitor’s car will soon be covered in birch seed debris, thanks to the flock of siskins (grønnsisik) feeding in the garden….

Birch seed scales, a fallen leaf and reflection of the trees :)

Difficult to photograph as the siskins are mainly in the tree tops…

…and I’ve just read Thoreau’s account of the dispersion of birch seeds in the great book “Faith in a seed”

…and I discovered this picture on the same day, 5 years ago (17th July 2012), when I heard the gentle patter of birch scales falling on a rhubarb leaf outside the front door! The siskins are absolutely silent when feeding and this was the only clue to their presence :)

Edible flowers, Edimentals, Salad

Filmed extreme salad!

July 17, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

This weekend, I have a film crew in the garden (more later) and a multi-species salad was of course on the agenda. We made this last night and it was served wild salmon that they had brought with them!! The resultant feast can be seen below! Apart from Begonia flowers, Stevia and Cuban oregano, everything is harvested outdoors and almost all are cold hardy perennials! A salad totally free of tomatoes and cucumber!