Hobbies and Crafts

Oh My! I thought we had disappeared.I couldn't find the thread.
Jude just seen your pics from your Mini Meet.It's nice to put a couple more faces to a name lol.Looks like you had a lovely time.Shame you live in Wales lol ,just that bit too far away.
Lots of beautiful bird song in the garden (too early in the morning) lol ,but lovely all the same.
When I was down in the village the other morning I could hear a wonderful noise coming from the top of a very tall tree.I stood underneath the tree for a while listening and trying to trace the sound.It was a Song Thrush(is that what they are called)?.It was just the most beautiful sound.It actually brought tears to my eyes as it was just so amazing.I know I am a soppy old date but it just got to me lol.There were no other sounds at all other than the Thrush.

Walking this morning the hawk that is very like a kestrel landed on a wall just in front of us. I had my camera around my neck but he/she saw me before I could lift it and flew off, great to see it so close though.

Almost evening...but so light and warm still:o)

Jane....l am hoping to meet 2 peeps from here in Derbyshire on 20th April, are you anywhere near there?? l have a feeling you're not:o(
Are'nt the Thrushes beautiful singers:o) l can quite understand why it brought tears to yur eyes!!

Ann...Are you still on holiday? thats a shame about the Hawk, very quick are'nt they:o)

Oh but Guess what...???


l just took a photo of a Sparrow Hawk that landed on our fence with my NEW CAMERA, brilliant photo after zooming in and cropping, will put it on blog asap. l have 2 from Jean to add too:o)

jude

The photo's are n the blog:o)) x

I think trains from here go to Derby.I don't know where your meet will be in Derbyshire ,but my son and his girlfriend will be back from uni,so 'Mum' will need to be home.I haven't seen my 'boy' since Xmas ! I will no doubt have a weeks washing to do to when he arrives.
I hope you get to have your meet.

Jude have sent a couple of photos for you to add to the blog if you think they are suitable !!!

One is a pelican over the beach in Antigua, but a little blurred as I had to enlarge it a bit.

The other was taken this morning and one of the funniest things I have seen for a long time. We had gone to the Farmers Market in Winchester and strolling, really, were a male and female mallard duck. I managed to snap them just outside Debenhams. I hope they didn't get into the market area as they would have found some oven ready cousins on sale !!!

Linda :o) XxX

perhaps they were on a protest march Linda!!!

Could somebody give me the url for Judes blog please, I don't have it on this net book.

Jane ... thats a shame but bless you your son is more important:o)

Linda...sorry l forgot to look, will do it now:o)

Ann...your pics are on the blog:o)

Did anyone see my pic of the Sparrow Hawk...??? wiv me new camera:o)) lol

jude...back home tomorrow afternoon:o) x

Linda...your photo's are on the blog now. Just love the Mallards one,, you shoud have followed them!!!

jude x

Great to see the new pics on the blog.Thanks for setting that up Jude.I love seeing everyones photos.
Has anyone got trouble with Rabbits ?A few weeks ago we were inundated and it was like Watership Down .OH did a dirty deed last week and bought an air rifle!!!!!.
But when I went to the hairdressers I mentioned our problem to Nigel (The Boss) He told me of a chap he knows who asked him for all the hair that was cut.It was to put around the perimeter of his allotment.To stop Rabbits getting in.They are supposed not to like Human hair.So I came home with a bag of hair lol.Guess what? The Bunnies seem to have disappeared!!!!!!!!

Thanks Jude
They came out OK didn't they

Loved your Sparrow Hawk, thanks for the tip on enlarging it

Linda :o) XxX

PS Jane no rabbit problems here, or squirrels either !!!!

Monring folks:o)

More photo's on blog from Ann, including a Lizzard:o)

l sent my photo of S/Hawk to the Nature recording thingie along with a photo of a butterfly. The Hawk one is going onto Facebook:o))

Rabbits probs Noooo, Rat probs Yessss....although past week not seen any:o)
What an unusual thing to do to stop rabbits, but if it works brilliant:o)

Tec...hows Ianto?
Madoc is as mad as ever, he's been bullying me this morning for bits of bonio!!

Have a good day everyone:o)
jude x

When I went on the dog walk this morning down in the village the birds were so busy collecting nesting material.Mainly Blackbirds.Every one I saw had a beak full lol
In the Church yard I disturbed a bird.I don't what it was .I wonder if it might have been a Grouse.It took off like a bullet and had very short wings and flew quite low.
Off to have a look at the Blog pics now.

Photo of the moon on blog:o)) not brilliant but not bad:o)

jude

Hello Birders

I did a good catch up on birdies last week in Wales - nothing unusual for you lucky people with rural gardens but watching goldfinches is a real treat for us city dwellers. We even saw our first siskins! We saw lots of big birds - crowies from Ravens to jackdaws, buzzards, red kites and two white red kites. I had plenty of digiscoping practice but not quite perfected pin-sharp focus - will I ever? LOL
We were at Gigrin farm, the red kite feeding centre and I thought you would be interested to know they are being featured on Countryfile this sunday (24th)

Jude, On Monday I was balancing my scope on the window sill with one hand and camera in other to snap the full moon as my tripod was in the van (not quick and easy to get) - not too bad considering LOL.
I had the tripod at the ready last night and was quite pleased with the results. Oddly, I found the 'text' setting on my camera the most successful.
It was a fabulous golden moon wasn't it?

Hi Everyone
Beautiful weather at the moment.

Back from a lovely walk with my son's dog again, he is with us for a few days. This morning the lake had a light mist hanging over it, quite ereathral(sp).
Think it's going to be another beautiful day.
The herons and swans have visible nests, but many other waterbirds round there. Mallards, tufted ducks, coots, moorhen, grebe, mandarin to name just a few.

Linda :o) XxX

Morning all:o)

Island....will look out for Countryfile, thanks:o)
If you have any photo's for us all to see l'll send you the email addy etc for the blog:o). Plus the moon ones:o) We used to see siskins and yellowhammers in Sussex, but seen either for years.Wwe were watching animal24/7 this morning and a chap was saying how important it is to record garden birds, he has spent 16yrs catching and recording birds in the countryside etc, to record what is still there etc. l think l will send my reports in on a monthly basis now.

Linda.....have you seen the Crested Grebe with young on their backs:o)
l'm wondering now if its the Grebe Vic saw on river wye rather than the goosander.

Off to the garden now:o)

jude

Afternoon all.What fantastic weather we are all having.It is fairly quiet bird wise in the garden at the moment.But not quiet rat wise lol.First Rabbits and now rats.What have we done to deserve it lol.They seem to be living under the compost.Thank goodness it is right down the bottom of the garden.
The Heron seems very busy visiting next doors (lake).There are too many trees in the way for me to get a photo.
Jude that was a great pic of the moon.You clever thing.My night photos are absolutely hopeless.

Just in case I don't get back ,I hope everyone has a lovely Easter whatever you are all doing or wherever you might be going.

Hi
First Happy Easter to everyone.
I've been staying in California and whilst visiting some friends I was excited to see humming birds on the feeders.
They fill the feeders with sugar,water and colouring.
I'd only ever seen them on TV before so it was really good to see them in real life.
We've also seen lots of birds of prey but we still have to identify them.

Jude when we return I'll try and send some photos. At the moment we are both using cameras and clicking furiously but it's anyone's guess what the photos will be like.
Take care
Von

Half an hour ago there was a terrific noise outside, birsds screeching. A blackbird is nesting on the top of a palm like tree in our hosts garden and a hawk tried to attack the nest. The blackbird fought him off. No I didn't have the camera handy at the time. \typical!!!