Bullfinch Lovers..Woodland Tea Party..Wake and Burial

Well it's been a while since my last blog, this week has been very busy with tiny visitors and the tragedy of this beautiful pair of Bullfinches. They had been flying happily around the garden in thier mating dance and then both of them flew into the window at the same time and died instantly...... reminisent of last years Swallow. We kept them,wrapped them up and took pictures of thier tragic death.

The next day some friends arrived for lunch, tea and celebrations of birthdays and babies born. We had a lovely fire in the garden with cake and rose and raspberry jelly. I was telling the story of the Bullfinches and showed them, and Susie was particularly struck by the story and asked me to keep them so that she could bring her children to see them at the weekend.

So taken was Susie with the pair of Bullfinches that she wrote a piece about them:

'Two Beautiful Bullfinches (That flew into a window)'

"We soared and swooped and laughed.

Life was joyous, abundant, and everywhere.

We danced.

We flew over Bluebell woods, over sleepy horses,and dappled brooks. We reached high into the sky until we felt dizzy, until the sun felt too close and we'd rush back down to the mossy earth.

And still we danced.

I could match your dives and graceful turns,

I could race you to the pine tree,

I could catch you tumbling in the breeze.

Our eyes were bright, our hearts were big,

We loved in that moment, and that moment was limitless. We danced.

We danced with innocent crazy passion. Every feather on our bodies felt new with energy of love on a bright may blossom filled day.

Fearless we danced above the wild moors,

Light winged with freedom.

Together we were strong, together we danced,

Together we died.

In a foolish glorious moment we died with hope in our eyes.

Our glistening May morning flight remains.

Our dance is still on the breeze.

Our love will never be tarnished by hungry mouths, by fear, or drudgery or winter chill.

And so we dance."

So we had a wake...with our Bullfinches. Tea with warm waffles ,creme fraiche and a sprinkling of wishing seeds!

And then we did some portraits.........

Maisie did qiute a few drawings of the female......

And Marlon carefully studied the male......

Here are two of Marlon's drawings of the male with his beautiful pink chest.

When we'd finished sketching we put the Bullfinches in a basket with forget- me- knots and bleeding hearts and wheeled them in the pink wheelbarrow chariot up to the Bluebell Woods to be buried.

We found the perfect spot for them by an old tree stump...

And lay them together in a soft cloth, thier beaks touching...

And decorated the tree with blubells and hawthorn blossom and bleeding heart flowers....Rafiki lying in the bluebells bathed in a beautful light.