If . . .

. . . I had posted this picture yesterday, instead of the cute little robin, would your reaction have been any different? Do we object to 'big birds' appearing to take over feeders and not giving the little birds a chance? Do we object to pigeons per se? If so, why? Think of how they are seen in cities. Do we see them as 'urban exploiters'? Why have they been 'moved' from some public places and how was this done? Do we like doves more because of the symbolism associated with them, even though they are all the same family?

These are just some of the questions posed by the book I mentioned yesterday. The way we as humans perceive and relate to the creatures around us is so complex and very often contradictory. We are influenced by the media, by what we are told, by tales and hearsay and often know very little about the creatures we are making judgements on. Think of our attitudes to spiders, slugs, rats, grey squirrels, starlings and, at the moment, badgers.

The book itself is in the form of a diary written over the course of one year. The author relates in detail what she sees around her in her home city of Aberdeen, and in particular the living things that live in and around the urban environment. She then muses on our prevailing attitudes and addresses issues such as climate change and environmental change, as well as the value we place on the lives of individual species.

Some might not get on with the author's scattergun approach and some may feel that the subjects have been dealt with in a more organised fashion in other books. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it really made me think in ways I had not done before.


Incidentally, I don't object to the pigeons. They take what they need and then move away, leaving the place for other birds. All birds need feeding, whatever their size and non-cuteness and I'm happy to feed them. And anyway the little birds have little fear of them and are often seen feeding beside them. It's only the woodpecker that they keep well away from!!


This picture is not quite as clear as it might be, as I took it through the window. I was not standing outside waiting for the pigeons to come back after I had disturbed them. It is freezing here today. The few little white splodges are actually snow - flakes of the stuff have been coming down all day!!