Even chickens and carp rejoice when the sun comes out
The fine weather has caused me to spend much time in my garden recently. But however much I try and water the plants or read, I find my attention being constantly distracted by watching my chickens sunbathe.
I have two birds (a third sadly recently departed) who wonder about over the lawn.
Rather than rootling for grubs, what they are at their very happiest doing is seeking out a warm patch of mud or even a simple stone flag. There they lie in glorious repose, wings cocked skywards, soaking up the rays like a couple of retirees on Blackpool beach.
These dozes in the sun are different to their dust baths which they use to flush out mites. And I wonder what they get out of it? I mean it is not as though theirs is a particularly stressful life in any case (bar the mangy fox who prowls outside their coop).
Yet it seems it is all creatures who enjoy a good sunbathe at this time of year. This week I read a newly published scientific paper in the Royal Society’s flagship biological research journal which analysed the phenomenon of carp lolling about in the sun on the top of their pools.
The study found that carp that sunbathed would not only gain body heat, but also grow faster and fitter as a result. The bolder the fish and more time it spent sunbathing, the better it grew, casting a pale over its weedy rivals skulking in the reed beds.
There will be sunshine for some this weekend but a fair bit of rain forecast as well. Looking into next week the further south and east one goes the warmer it will be. The carp ponds of Dover will rejoice.
Weather Watch is going one further and heading off for a week lazing around in a pool in Burgundy. I’m fed up with watching the chickens have all the fun.