At 5 pm we set foot outside again although it was still very warm 24°C). We went for a stroll around the neighbourhood with a destination in view.

Cruikshank Street

The low evening sun was producing areas of brightness alternating with long shadows. It was easy to be dazzled by the sun shining into your eyes. We went down Cruikshank Street to…

Flowers in Bevin Court

…the housing estate at the bottom called Bevin Court, where these flowers were making a pretty display.

Looking up Great Percy Street

We crossed Great Percy Street which, though residential, is quite wide and descends, straight as an arrow, to Kings Cross Road, interrupted at one point by one of our favourite places, the garden of Percy Circus.

Lloyd Baker Street

We passed down Lloyd Street, through Lloyd Square, into Lloyd Baker Street. (Do you see a pattern forming? 🙂 ) Myddelton’s deli is at the end on the left and we might have been tempted to tarry a while there but for the fact they were closed for the day…

Amwell Street shops

We crossed Amwell Street where these shops were glowing in the evening sun. They too were closed and shuttered.

Trees in River Street

We continued along River Street where my attention was caught by the roadside trees and how green they were. They seem to be thriving despite the little rain we have had.

Flowers on the doorstep

Many houses around here have flowers growing on their doorsteps and I wonder whether they are cultivated or have sprung up spontaneously. Either way, they are pretty and I like them.

Myddelton Square Gardens

Into Myddelton Square we went. I wondered whether the pigeons would recognise us and come begging for food! (No, not really, and anyway, they were busy with another person feeding them.)

Squirrel observing us

I managed to snap this squirrel hanging on a tree and observing us hopefully before disappearing again.

Stag beetle (I think)
Photo by Tigger

Tigger spotted this big beetle resting on a tree at the edge of the garden. We think it is a stag beetle, though we are not sure.

Chadwell Street

From the square we crossed into Chadwell Street, named, like Amwell Street, after one of the springs which are the source of the New River.

Roses in Chadwell Street

I photographed these roses in Chadwell Street, growing in the same garden that produced roses that I admired when we started our local rambles during the very first lockdown. How long ago that now seems to be!

Houses in Chadwell Street

The stepped arrangement of houses in Chadwell Street always claims my attention as it is so unusual amidst the usual regularity of Georgian-style houses.

The Banana Tree

And so to St John Street and our aforementioned destination: the Banana Tree restaurant.

Inside the Banana Tree

At this early hour, the restaurant was not busy and as the air conditioning was on, we chose to eat there rather than order a takeaway. That way, we could have jasmin tea as well!

Evening at the Angel Crossroads

Afterwards, we passed by the Angel crossroads on our way to spend a peaceful evening at home. ‘Night, all!

We went for a early outing this morning in order to avoid the expected heat later in the day.

A cloudy-sunny day

The sky was quite cloudy, as this photo shows. Sunny intervals alternated with shady ones.

Myddelton Square Gardens

We bought our coffee at the deli and carried it to the garden in Myddelton Square where we found s bench free.

Free for all

I mentioned the other day that we had bought a bag of bird seed in the pet shop. Today was a chance to try it out. Tigger was hoping to feed the crows but, inevitably, the square’s pigeons claimed their share.

One to one
Photo by Tigger

I noticed that one of the pigeons was missing a foot and wanted to be sure that he had his share. I started by hand-feeding him on the ground but eventually he found the courage to fly onto my knee and I fed him there.

Eating out of my hand
Photo by Tigger

He became brave enough to eat out of my cupped hand.

Using his wings to steady himself
Photo by Tigger

My denim trousers are somewhat slippery for a pigeon and he kept sliding off until he learned to land further up on the flat. When he found himself slipping, he used his wings to steady himself but still fell off several times first.

Interloper!
Photo by Tigger

Another pigeon, a younger one, tried to muscle in. His technique was to perch on my hand. Having two healthy feet, he could get a grip. I accepted him as it was easier just to feed both of them than try to avoid one while feeding the other.

Pigeons in stereo
Photo by Tigger

Once they had gained confidence in me, the pigeons were happy to sit on my knees… as long as they thought there might be food in the offing!

Stroking the pigeon
Photo by Tigger

The pigeon grew confident enough to allow me to stroke his chest with my finger. I’m not claiming that he enjoyed it but that he probably tolerated it in the hope of receiving more food. In the picture, the interloper pigeon arrives, landing on “my” pigeon’s back.

Crows – less ready to approach
Photo by Tigger

In the meantime, Tigger was tossing larger items to a pair of crows. Crows are a lot more suspicious of humans (with good reason) than pigeons are. They would not come closer than a couple of yards or more. We also noticed that they hid much of what we gave them by poking it down among the grass and putting blades of grass on top. I don’t doubt that foraging squirrels and pigeons will find it.

A sunny moment

When the sun shone, the garden looked cheerfully pretty. On the other hand, the cloudy intervals helped to keep the air cool which we appreciated too.

Finishing off the bird seed

We had brought a ration of seed in a screw-top jar and, to finish off, put the remainder in the lid so that the pigeons could enjoy a final feast.

Leaving the garden

Having finished off the seed, we set off for home and lunch. I took the above retrospective photo of the pleasant gardens.

The church amid sunlit trees

After this backward glance, we climbed the hill to home where we had lunch. We may go out again later.

I have mentioned before that I like pigeons and so interacting with them today was very enjoyable. I hope we can repeat the experience again one day soon.