Courtesy of Little Love:
Now it was April and Freddie’s nervousness was gone. I still wasn’t invited to stroke him although he was sleeping without fear, and in the most enchanting positions imaginable. A week passed, and Freddie’s routine after early breakfast became regular. After his morning toilette under one of the bushes, he would move on to a prolonged inspection along the garden perimeters to check for any sign of trespassing under the many bushes growing there. Undoubtedly, Freddie’s self-appointment as the new governor made him take his duties seriously. The trouble started when he mistook my beloved birds for unwelcome visitors rather than family members. He took to climbing the trees on which some bird food was placed, hiding under the branches directly where the birds fed, astonished at the large number of them. The birds were as perplexed as they were annoyed and protested loudly at such an intrusion. That was when the dreaded trouble and I met head-on.
Fearing the inevitable confrontation, I followed him around shooshing him off the trees. Freddie was convinced that this was another game and impressed, he enthusiastically joined in the proceedings. As soon as I moved him on, he would hide under a different bush, studiously avoiding going inside the open kitchen door. Then, slinking behind my back, he would suddenly reappear to my left or my right, leaving me turning round and round in my efforts to get him into the kitchen, then close the door, happy in the knowledge that my birds were safe and feeding in peace. Freddie having a sharp mind and being nobody’s fool, sussed out very quickly what was happening. Still convinced that it was only a game, after all, I could not be serious about wanting all those birds in what was now his garden, he would jump over the fence and disappear. This meant he could return at any time and find himself unsupervised face-to-face with my birds. And then what?
Courtesy of GoTrails:
This couldn’t go on as the fledgling season approached, and I became increasingly frantic. There was no way I could protect a hundred-plus baby birds who would for the first few days of their life sit, walk, and be fed on the ground, unaware of any dangers. They would be everywhere, fed by their parents and toddling about on their wobbly, widely-spread legs in the best drunken sailor’s fashion. Since they also couldn’t properly fly yet, they would move around in a series of umpity jumps. The great variety of birds created even more confusion; from baby rooks as big as ducks to the wee baby blue tits, all of whom were screeching, squealing, or cooing for their frantic parents to feed them right now! Now! Now! And more, more, more! The deafening noise would go on for the first two weeks of the youngsters’ lives as they were conditioned from birth to know that to get fed they needed to scream their lungs out. The spacious shallow pond I created was at this time of the year overflowing with youngsters whose wings beat the water with such vigour and delight that a thousand water droplets cascaded into the air creating a fountain-like effect in the luminous sunshine. Some babies would jump into the free-standing water containers and run about in circles like a hamster in a wheel. Flapping their wings and splashing madly about in an infectious display of joy of life, they behaved just like small children do, loving every minute of being beside the seaside!
Courtesy of Bird watching at home:
Then there is my old chum, the blackbird, and his hillbilly family. To add to the fledglings’ mayhem, he drags his baby from one tree to another, feeding him on the branches. As he cannot fly properly, he has the maddening tendency to keep falling down during yet another transfer. While the blackbird, his wife, and the baby all flap and scream blue murder to alert me, I will run like a wind to their rescue. It is crucial to get a terrified youngster winched up as quickly as possible onto the highest branch that I can reach on my ladder without breaking my neck in the process. A week or so later, I feel more than adequately rewarded when the now fully-feathered fledgling merrily skips around under my watchful eye, while his father would be engaged in our daily conversation, among other topics, on the subject of safety, of course, what else…
But back to Freddie and our heroic battles. In fact, it was my blackbird’s family and their crazy antics that almost caused the first tragic incident that year. On a particularly fine day, it was early in the morning and the garden was quiet. I watched Freddie making his inspection of the group of bushes that grow under the tall trees. I only lost sight of him for a second when all of a sudden, there was a burst of screaming and a commotion on the ground. Without even knowing who was involved, I got to the bush in two leaps, just as the hysterical blackbirds swooped low on Freddie who was cowering under the branches. I couldn’t see whether there was anything in his mouth, but urged on by the blackbirds, who were beside themselves by now, I joined in the fracas. As soon as I screamed, “No, Freddie, no, drop it!”, he let go of the blackbird’s baby and petrified, dived under the tangled vine. The fledgling jumped up from where he had fallen, and although still quite naked, except for his wings and a bit of a tail, plus a few tufts on his head, sprang with the speed of lightning straight under the same stretch of vine that Freddie had chosen for his hiding place. Fearing the worst, I threw myself on the ground like a desperate goalkeeper and frantically snapping the vine branches with my bare hands, I crawled into the dense undergrowth. I could see the fledgling scrambling through the vine, tripping and falling but determined to get away from anything that moved, and that included me. I managed somehow to get hold of the baby and brought him out, screaming and kicking, into the open. To my relief, he was not hurt, only a bit shaken, while I had acquired two bruised knees and a scratched elbow.
After showing him to his parents, I placed him high up on the branch of the tree from where he had previously fallen off, and while he sat quietly at last, I placed a dollop of breakfast food in expert knowledge that nothing would soothe frayed nerves better than a generous helping of one’s favourite food. In all this kerfuffle, there was no sign of Freddie, which meant I could not just leave the youngster to resume his day’s activities. I got the cutters from the shed and began to tear down the vine. There wasn’t much point for the small birds to use it as a sanctuary if young Freddie was nimble enough to hide there as well. Cutting down the old vine that had been left to its own devices for the past eleven years, proved to be one of the labours of Hercules, no less. Keeping an eye on the tree with the young blackbird, I hadn’t much chance to look for Freddie. It was well into the day when he reappeared. I could see from his expression that the penny had finally dropped, and he knew that I meant business as far as the birds were concerned, and this realisation had put him in a vile mood. Any attempt to get him into the house was repudiated and he looked angry. The terrified birds watched me the treetops pleading feebly with Freddie to no avail, he just simply would not go away.
Courtesy of MB vids:
Placid as I am with children and animals, there is always a switch-off point somewhere. Sweaty and exhausted from cutting down several square yards of the vine, I didn’t want to cut in the first place and wholly fed up with wasting almost all day, I snapped. Grabbing a thick branch of the vine, and banging it on the ground, I screamed at him to go away. This time he obeyed, and in one jump cleared the fence and was gone.
“Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102: II. Andante” by Dmitri Shostakovich, performed by Simon Trpčeski and Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava:
I was in turmoil. The birds were part of our family, most of them had been born here and trusted this place and me implicitly; this was their home. It was the cat that was a newcomer. Yet, when I thought about this, all I could see in my mind was Freddie inspecting his beloved garden, his jaunty, skipping walk, the way he caressed the branches of lower bushes with his chin and sniffed the plants, and I knew that I couldn’t send him away. The next morning, he appeared but stood outside the open door, hesitant. It was obvious that he wasn’t sure what my reaction might be to the previous day’s incident. I welcomed him as cordially as always. After a huge breakfast, sensing that he was in a receptive mood, I decided to have a serious talk with him. I turned towards the cat sitting across the room. His quartz saucer-shaped eyes were fixed on me while he groomed himself in unhurried, orderly movements. As I usually keep a one-sided conversation going on with him, he was wondering why I was so strangely quiet. I held his eyes in a strong, and what I hoped was a commanding gaze, and addressed Freddie in a brisk, no-nonsense voice: “Look here, young Freddie, either you will live by the rules of this house or you will have to go, is that clear? I have done everything possible to help you, you know that, don’t you? So why won’t you help me now? If you intend to stay here, you will have to accept that it is share and share alike all the way. I won’t have you disturbing or killing my birds. No! I mean it! This is your last chance!”
“3 Concert Études, S. 144: No. 3, Un sospiro” by Franz Liszt, performed by Charlotte Hu:
I turned and without looking at the cat, left the room. Let me tell you that I don’t believe in miracles, and so when the very first morning Freddie showed symptoms similar to those of Saul when struck by enlightenment on the road to Damascus, I was dumbfounded.
“I stand on some mighty eagle’s beak” by Frederick Delius ed. E Fenby , performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Ambrosian Singers (courtesy of Jayne Anne Strutt):
naturetails 
so enjoyable a read! looking forward to any & all of your experiences with animals🤗i love your sharings👍🏼❤️
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Thank you for your wonderful and generous comments! There is more to come about Freddie’s conversion into the protector of birds!
Thank you again for your thoughts, all greatly appreciated!
Joanna xx
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That’s a funny way to put it: “self-appointment as the new governor.” Likewise for the phrase “umpity jumps” and for “the blackbird, and his hillbilly family.”
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Thank you, Steve, for your wonderfully thoughtful observations! Your thoughts are much appreciated!
Joanna
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Another entertaining chapter on Freddie. Looks like it was a learning experience for you both, just how life should be. I, like you am not impressed by any predator’s attack on the new baby birds in my yard. Glad an understanding was reached. Happy Friday Joanna. Allan
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Thank you, Allan, for your wonderful comments! I am happy that you share my feelings, and there will be more about Freddie’s transformation into the protector of birds!
Joanna
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Freddie changed his behavior for various readers, I guess. Mostly, he wanted to please you.
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Will read carefully 🙏
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Thank you, Neil, for your wonderfully insightful comments! Yes, indeed, animals return the affection, and wish to show gratitude! Your wise thoughts are much appreciated!
Joanna
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Thank you, Arun, much appreciated!
Joanna
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Thank you so much 😊
Regards 🙏
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Gorgeous pictures hopefully a no long recalcitrant cat.
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Thank you, dear Pat, for your thoughtful comments! There will be some more about Freddie’s transformation into the protector of birds.
Joanna
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Good for you, Freddie, and the birds.
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Thank you, dear Pat, for your kind words!!
Joanna xx
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Joanna, I found this quite entertaining. I couldn’t help chuckling as I read how you rescued the blackbird fledgling. I look forward to Freddie’s transformation in the next post.
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Thank you, Punam, for your wonderful comments! I am glad that you are interested to know what happened next because there will be more about Freddie becoming the protector of birds!
Joanna xx
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You are welcome, Joanna. That sounds promising.
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Thank you, Punam!
Joanna xx
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It is always amazing when natural predators learn to co exist for their mutual benefit. You obviously have a great deal more patience than I have Joanna to have persevered with integrating Freddie into your household.
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Thank you, Peter, for your kind comments! Freddie will become the protector of birds too!
Joanna x
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Another interesting tale on Freddie’s affectionate behaviour with the birds and the expression of willingness to accommodate them in all its activities ! I am looking forward next to its role as the protector of birds! Thanks,Joanna,for the great share 🙏
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I love the video of cats and birds. They are quite able to co-exist though it must have been nerve-wracking for you to try to figure out. You are a determined and persuasive woman Joanna! It makes me realise how minor are our troubles with junior boy-kitten and mature lady-cats. I always enjoy the illustrations and the music…that Liszt piece is wonderful. Lucky Freddie!
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You’ve got me totally hooked on this story Joanna. It appears to have been a battle of wills between you and Freddie, but I can already see that he’s got enough intelligence to work out which side his bread’s buttered. If he protects the birds from any intruders, then he’s not only king of the castle, but will also earn some brownie points from the queen. At least that’s what I’m hoping is going to happen. Roll on the next chapter.
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Thank you, Malc, for the wonderful comments! The intelligence of the animals shouldn’t surprise me as it was noticed a long time ago by ancient sages. There will be more about Freddie that will be surprising!
Thank you again, Malc, for your thoughts!
Joanna x
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You’re welcome Joanna. Have a great weekend.
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Thank you!
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Thank you, Carolyn, for your thoughtful comments! Freddie, like many animals, understood that when you are treated with great generosity, you return the affection, a concept often alien to humans. There are more surprising sides to Freddie’s personality in the next chapter.
Joanna x
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Thank you, Dhirendra, for your wonderful comments! There will be more surprises about Freddie’s personality in the next chapter. Thank you again, Dhirendra, your words are greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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Joanna, an utterly captivating account! I can see I have some catching up to do on the saga of Freddie and the birds.
I am enjoying watching the birds, rabbits, and squirrels that gather around my bird feeders. Thank you for helping me start this new activity. When I return to the blog, I will write about my observations.
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Thank you, Cheryl, for your wonderful comments! I am glad that you have so many wild friends around you! Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!
Joanna x
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My pleasure , Namaste ji
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Thank you! Namaste!
Joanna
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Thank you, Joanna, for yet another entertaining installment of the wild cat story. The self-appointed governor of your garden has finally grasped your intentions and learned to coexist with the feathery members of your family. Your handling of this challenging situation is truly commendable.
It’s evident that animals understand the language of signs and emotions, provided the communication is proper and followed by reaffirmations.
The episode with Blackbird’s baby, Freddie, and your role as the baby’s savior, even at the risk of getting hurt, is not only captivating but also awe-inspiring.
I thoroughly enjoyed the video of Little Love, as well as your other illustrations, videos, lilting music, and your painting. Thank you, Joanna, for sharing your wonderful experiences of taming a wild cat.
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Thank you, Kaushal, for the wonderfully thoughtful comments! You are absolutely right in your assessment of Freddie, and there will be more surprises next week!
Joanna
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You’re welcome, Joanna! Looking forward to the remaining parts of the story!
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A wonderful story, Freddie is certainly a character! You keep us guessing as to what might be next in Freddie’s story! Thank you, dear Joanna, for also adding great pictures, videos and music. The starlings in the bird bath are so funny! Also, I especially love the addition of music by Delius. Years ago, I saw Ken Russell’s ‘Song of Summer’ (1968) on the tv and have loved Delius’s music ever since. I was 18 at the time and captivated. One scene I’ve never forgotten was of Fenby, Delius’s amanuensis, throwing a ball from the front of the house, over the roof, running through the house and catching it at the back before it hit the ground. Joanna, from one piece of music, that I’ve not heard before, I’ve relived some moments of happiness with my father, who was a wonderful musician. I’d not heard this piece before but it is unmistakably Delius. Enjoy what’s left of the weekend. 🤗💐💓💌💙🙋♂️
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Thank you, dear Ashley, for your wonderfully interesting comments! I am so happy that you liked the music and the memories it brought!
There are more surprising elements to Freddie’s personality to read about in the next chapter!
Joanna
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Wow! You really put your paw down effectively! Such an exciting episode of Freddie and Joanna!
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Joanna I saw these experiences with these animals. These are so amazing. Anita
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Thank you, Harini, for the wonderful comments! There are more interesting aspects of Freddie’s personality in the next chapter!
I think you will like it!
Joanna x
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Thank you, Anita, for your appreciation! Your thoughts are greatly valued!
Joanna
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Oh my gosh Joanna, you have some of the most interesting and amusing antics created in your animal kingdom! Every piece of Freddie’s personality you unfold with each episode is truly unbelievable! Go Freddie! 😻😸😹
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Thank you, Kym, for your wonderful comments! More to come this week!
Joanna x
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Oh my dear Joanna, you are so very welcome. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought Freddie the Cat would be so interesting! 💖 Hugs and smooches my friend. 🥰😻🥰
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I can’t believe all the drama he’s causing with the birds. You’re a saint for putting up with him, but I have to admit, his little personality is pretty charming. I love how you’re trying to make peace between him and the bird squad.
(I’m curious to see how Freddie will behave now that you’ve laid down the law 😃)
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Thank you, Ritish, for your wonderful comments! You can read the part 6 as it was published already. Thank you for your time and kind thoughts, all greatly appreciated!
Joanna
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Yes of course, just read that too.
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Thank you, Ritish, for being always one step ahead!
Joanna
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