Hobbies and Crafts

I was just about to go out in the garden and finish off what I was doing this morning - making sure all the frost tender things have protection - and I saw a bird of prey fly into the lilac bush on the patio. But of course it saw me immediately and flew straight off so I didn't see it for long enough to check what it looked like exactly. I think it was either a kestrel or a sparrowhawk. From what I saw and my books it looked more like a kestrel but I can't be sure.

There's a drake on the river that keeps causing bust ups when I feed the ducks. He gets jealous if another one gets to the food first and then chases the successful one away. In the process he totally misses the food I try to get to him, then spots another one getting it and starts on that one. He's obviously not a good british citizen or he'd take his turn like the rest of them.

I was being silly - I forgot to look on the RSPB website for images and it was definitely a kestrel.

Our local paper last week had a bit about a lady who had a parrot,who she regularly let out of the cage in the garden to have a little fly.It was just sat on a bush and a Red Kite suddenly swooped down got the parrot and it was gone .

Hi Folks,

Jane...That is so sad about the parrot. The poor lady must be distraught, and I don't suppose the parrot was ecstatic either.
Surprising how much bullying goes on among the birds. Today I watched two buzzards being mobbed by a gang of jackdaws. The buzzards ventured down off the mountain, and were soaring over the village when a mob of about twenty jackdaws gathered to chase them back up the mountain.
Another example of bullying occurs with the collared doves in my garden. Two doves wait every morning for me to fill the feeders. Frequently, just after they settle to eat, a third dove flies in and chases them off, consequently they all fly away, and nobody gets anything to eat. Although, the regular pair do return later when bully boy has disappeared.
The owls are very vocal after dark now, and during the day the blackbirds have returned to join my regular visitors.
The oystercatches are increasing in number on the beach, and there have been several cormerants down there recently.

The ramp that I made for Yanto, to enable him to get into the car more easily, was a complete failure. He looked at it with derision, and refused to use it. I covered it with carpet to avoid slipping, and even crawled up it myself on my hands and knees to show him it was safe, but all to no avail. (The men in white coats are on the way)..................

Regards to all
Tec.

Oh Bless ,I had a ramp for my old Dodger to get in the back of the car.I used to heave him in ,and ended up with a trapped nerve in my neck which gave me a numb hand ,but with pins and needles.
Yes Owls are very vocal here now.

Tec I think you need to remember the old adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". Never mind - but I expect the neighbours won't see you in the same light in future. The image did make me giggle.

We're hearing the owls in the evening too.

Lizzie,
I know about the old dog/new tricks thing, but I have always thought that my faithful old dog would follow me over the edge of a cliff if so required. This may be so, but his devotion evidently doesn't go as far as following me up a dog ramp into the back of a car.
As for my neighbours, well my behaviour will only serve to further confirm their suspicions. Although, looking at my neighbours, I feel that a little light entertainment would not go amiss.

When leaving Porthmadog today, I noticed a flock of about twenty Canada Geese, flying low, and toward marshland inland from the coast.

Regards
Tec

Tec, I am having a little giggle here at the picture of you crawling up the dog's ramp!!

We went to Westonburt Arboretum yesterday to see the wonderful autumn colours. They have a bird feeding station there but it is closed for two months. Apparently the birds all caught a disease that is spread at feeders and the RSPB advised them to shut the feeders until the end of November. Can't remember the disease name, it was a long one!!

Ann
Glos

That sounds unfortunate Ann. I'm pretty sure OH cleans ours out every time he replenishes them. I'll have to check and maybe we ought to listen out for news just in case. It would be sad if all our good work ended up making things worse just as we're getting to the time when the birds need our help most.

Apparently the birds spread that particular disease in their saliva.


We had a couple of greenfinches back on the feeders this morning, always good to see them arrive, even if it does mean winter approaches! Great tits were very active as well.

Hi Folks,

24th October is RSPB "Feed the Birds Day"

More info at =

www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds

Regards
Tec.

Hi
Yesterday I was at my local garden centre just about to get into the car when I heard a lot of noise. Two birds flew overhead and in a second the larger of the two had taken the smaller one and circled round again with the smaller bird in it's claws.
I thought the larger one was a Kestral as it didn't look large enough to be a Sparrow Hawk. I've googled and found that Kestrals can take birds but it doesn't indicate whether they can take them on the wing.
Anyone else seen this happen?
Von

We went out for a lovely walk in the downs yesterday and along a section of the Ridgeway. As we were at the top and beginning to walk down into a valley we saw three buzzards wheeling round below us. That was a fantastic sight as because of our postition we actually got to see them closer than you normally would and appreciate their size - they're so imposing -you could imaginethem being like pteradactyls. Actually, I have to say the heron that's flying along the river more regularly now reminds me more of the shape of them that you see in kids' dinosaur books.

Once we were down in the valley, the footpath took us through a tres poshe farmyard. Part of it was stables for young horses that are being trained for racing. Like a pre-school for racehorses. We chatted to a jockey who'd just been exercising one of the horses in the gallops we'd walked past, and another stable hand. They told us the land belonged to Count Konrad Goess-Saurau. Then as we continued on the path that skirted part of the farm we came across so many pheasants. They must be breeding them, they were everywhere and we know why the buzzards were so interested now. Stupid pheasants don't keep quiet and hidden when there's trouble about - they do panic rather noisily and flap about horrendously.

When we got back we googled Count K and he's a bit of a b@#!*r by all accounts according to a couple of local news items over the past few years. Glad we don't live too near his land I must say. Shame because it's an absolutely beautiful area.

I think the male sparrow hawk is not much bigger than a Kestrel.

Morning everyone:o)

Beautiful day although abit nippy round the ankles:o))

Dizzie....your walk sounds lovely, we see 2 or 3 and sometimes 4 buzzards overhead here but not so close, you hear them first and often they are being harassed by the rooks or crows.
Have you been to Rhayader in the Elan Valley, Gigrin Farm.....amazing place:o)

Here is the website, very interesting:

http://www.gigrin.co.uk/gigrin_farm.html

Tec...Thanks for telling us about the Feed The Birds Day, have got the site in my favourites. And l am still smiling at you climbing into the back of the car up the ramp!! sorry Tec...lol
Hows the old boy doing (Yanto that is). Our Madoc is doing very well he's on the bed right now as Vic has gone on one of his rambles. l went downstairs to make a coffee and he folowed,sat there looking at me wagging his tail until l got a handful of his biscuits and hid them round the lounge, he's satisfied now and is back on the bed:o))

Von....did you sort out if it was a kestral or S/hawk??

Just added Jane photo to the blog, sorry for the delay. If anyone has photo's to add l'll get a move on this time:o))

jude xx

Hi Jude
No I'm afraid I didn't. It all happened so quickly so difficult to tell. I'm quite familiar with Kestrals but not so with Sparrowhawks.

Ann you say that male Sparrowhawks are not much bigger than Kestrals so it could have been a Sparrowhawk.

I go to the garden centre quite often so will keep a look out for birds of prey.
I'll ask the staff if they know as quite a few spend their time outside.
Take care
Von

Must be about 20 years ago now I visited Rhayader. A friend lived in the area for a while - he took the mobile library out in that area, and on the few occasions we visited he always took us out for a drive and a walk somewhere around. It's a beautiful place - you've reminded me of somewhere else we must go back and see again. I'll have a look at that website Jude.

I wanted to go out in the garden this morning and get on with a few things but I couldn't. There was a green woodpecker on the lawn having a good feast. OH gave the lawn its last mow of the year (hopefully) and this year it's been troubled by ant nests from time to time so I wanted woody to get in there as much as possible. He was there for quite a long while. I was so glad to see him again. He's not been around for ages.

I also saw a grey wagtail having a go in another spot. Always grateful for a good bit of natural pest control.

After lots of activity in the garden yesterday hardly anything today, but the weather's been poor so everything was probably taking shelter.

Having handed my old phone over to my son today because his isn't working we discovered some photos that hadn't been taken out of it including one of the duck that knocks the patio window occasionally. I knew I had it somewhere and we've transferred them to the computer, so over the next week I'll try to upload one or two more to your blog Jude.

No birds in our garden today either.

Dizzie, l look forward to the pics :o)

We've had 6-8 doves, often a few more than that, 3-4 wood pigeons, couple of robins, couple of dunnocks and a number of sparrows. Not seen our lesser sp woodie for ages......ohhhh l would so love to have ducks knocking on my door:o))...would'nt mind chooks too, not sure what the mad dog would think though!! His bestes friend came in this evening and between them they knocked my small coffee table over that had all my pins, sewing needles, cottons etc on, nice job that was picking them all up!!

Nite nite:o)

jude