Hobbies and Crafts

Thanks Jane....l have it, will add to blog abit later. Off to cook tea now:o)

jude x

I really really wish I had got my camera at hand this morning.(but I didn't) There was a buzzard just hovering over next doors garden with its talons splayed out,obviously ready to grab something.It looked amazing!

I keep meaning to put this up, no birds involved but. The night before last when I got up to go to the loo (as you do, or I do) OH also got up and we wandered into the spare bedroom to look out of the window (we sleep in the rear, the spare is in the front), this was about 1am. We have seen a fox before visiting the neighbour opposite who puts scraps out for the birds. We were lucky again and the dog fox (quite a big one) came along the road and stopped to look around, no food there so he walked on, or rather ran, chased by same neighbours quite small year old cat. I would have thought the fox would attack the cat but he didn't just ran off with cat in hot pursuit.

Ann....l would love one of those night camera/video thingies, just set it up and watch in the morning, hopeing there is something to watch of course.

Jane you need a camera in your pocket....do you have a mobile with one on?? that could have been a fantastic photo:o)

Your Robin is on the blog now, sorry for the delay, l completely forgot

We seem to be feeding the birds atleast twice a day at present, the snow covered quite abit so l had to scrape some away off the walls. Snow almost gone now though, more expected later!
Tec...how is Ianto??
Madoc had a tussle wuth a husky before christmas, he limped badly so had to have pain killer injection whic made him very lathargic and would'nt eat, but he's fine now. He does have alot of fatty lumps now and one has got bigger so that will be checked out.

jude:o)

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year to you.

Birds all hungry as expected in this weather - Lots of sparrows, chaffinches, and blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, etc.The squirrel joins them most days. Red kites around again daily.

Jude - Ianto is ok, his eyesight is failing and he stays very close to me now. Still enjoys his walks, but whereas he was always ten yards ahead of me in the woods, or on the mountain, now he stays right by my side.
He will only go in the garden if I go with him, it is rather sad, but apart from his eyes, and stiffness in his legs he is in good condition for his age.
He trusts me, and I will do my best for him whatever happens.

I hope Madoc is ok now - no more fighting with huskies I hope.

Tec

Happy new year Tec, yes the birds are all very hungry, we have suddenly got a lot of Chaffinches in the garden, strangely they seem to like Nyger seed as well as the goldfinches. we also have a couple of greenfinches and the usual blue and coal tits, great tits, sparrows dunnocks blackbirds, starlings a wren, wood pigeons, C Doves and the robin visits occasionally.

We don't seem to have too many birds in the garden at the moment other than my lovely Robin who is still tucking in to the fatball lol.
It is such a struggle keeping some water without it freezing for the birds now.I often take my camera with me when I take Chester for a walk but at the moment it is so icy I am scared of slipping over and breaking it.My son saw a lovely Deer the other day ,and that would have made a great photo.
I don't know if I said but I took 3 fatballs down the lane when we had all the snow and hung them on the hedgerow.OH said anyone seeing them would have thought there must be some mad person around ....bit like the bird lady lol.But they are being eaten so I'm glad I did it.

That was a lovely idea Jane.

On another subject are you not joining in the Easter egg hunt (no Pumpkins in it!)

I seem to have lost track of the EE Hunt.I don't think a pumpkin is needed lol
Will have a look lol

We have snow now and the birds are frantically stocking up on food, keep putting more out. Just now we had three male blackbirds in the garden, don't they squabble!????

Lots of squabbles going on here Ann.But it seems to be the smaller birds chasing the Blackbirds away form the Fat balls.
I had a look down the lane earlier and the fatballs were almost gone,so have hung up some new ones.I bought a huge tub of them from the petshop.

I had a cupboard clearout yesterday.... raisins, suet, various seeds and the nuts that someone didn't put the lid back onto etc... so I shoved it all in the blender with a stale seeded batch loaf, melted the suet and some butter in a pan, added a dollop of corn oil, and then added all the ingredients..... also added a couple of apples, the bananas which were just going speckled, and the last of the grapes.... and then spread it all onto newspaper on my two tables outside, and on old trays on the roof of one of the sheds...... not all at once, but bit by bit over yesterday and today.

I also threw a pile over the fence at the back on the one side... that is where the jays feed on the ground, so I sort of added to nature, lolol

Well... it has all gone, even though I don't normally put food out for them, because of the cats... they come into the garden anyway for some reason... and they have fed well this time, lol... I have seen a thrush, too... for some reason, I always thought they went away in the winter? This was tubbier than the mistle thrush I used to get in Gloucester... and I know we do have song thrush in the trees, but this really was quite chubby, unless it was puffing it's feathers up to keep warm.

We have three regular blackbirds... two females and a male..... they are sooooo funny to watch!

I know one of our neighbours feeds the birds plenty.... they brought me stuff from their allotment last summer, so I took them seed and fat balls for the birds... so they won't starve here, but in this weather, every little helps.


Love

Daff xxxxx

sounds like they have had a good feed then Daff. And probably the cats wont be too bothered if it is really cold out. Have you got snow?

Hiya Ann.... yes, we had a very heavy downfall, but it did thaw.... and now it has iced all over... we are earmarked for a heavy snowfal during the night... and it is very cloudy out, so imagine it will start soon.

R has been told not to go in to work tomorrow if it is too bad.... so he can help me feed even more birds, lol..... they can have the remnants of the fruit bowl tomorrow, plus I still have a decent sized pan full of my *special bird brew* lol

Love

Daff xxxxx

I put out half a manky banana which the blackbird liked and also the birds enjoyed some pears that had gone rotten.

Anyone know if the birds will eat cooked rice?

When I took the dog for a walk down the lane this morning the only footsteps i could see were those of water birds ,like Moorhens or Coots.They must have ventured further than the stream looking for food .
Daff whereabouts are you?

Hiya Jane... I am in Newport, Gwent.... a very flat bit, as I don't like hills, lol....

Ann, I was wondering that yesterday.... I have put out some egg pasta, cooked, mixed with bits of tomato, raisins and nuts, lol.... oh, and olive oil..... that went down a treat, too, I have some more left for tomorrow, but I would happily boil up a bit of rice if it would help... I have kept the fat off the beef, so I can mix that in with it as well.

Love

Daff xxxx

We had some cooked rice left over tonight. You would think by now I would know how much we could eat wouldn't you? My excuse is it took me ages to eat without chewing on the crater so I left some.

Yeh the reply button has worked on this thread aswell:o)))

Its now 3.48am and the snow has landed. 3 - 4 inches of it. l opened the window earlier and could here the crows squarking bless em, the wind was blowing the 100ft fir trees and l bet they were cold and being tossed about abou there.

Out with a shovel tomorrow, well Vic will l'm getting over the blinky flu, l'll just watch:o)

nite nite
jude :o) x
PS....Madoc has had 2 samples taken today from lump on his leg, results should be back by end of week, they may need to remove the whole lump before then though cause apparently the samples were quite bloody (scuse me) so may not be what they want (or something ike that.....that was what Vic repeated back via the vet).

Poor Madoc, hope his leg is OK and they can sort out what the lumps are. Sorry to hear you have flu Jude, hope you feel better soon.

We have 4-5 inches here sow e are staying in, T is making bread at the moment, although we have enough, think his wartime mentality has come to the fore!! Still it gives him something to do Lol!!!! And keeps him from under my feet.

The birds are eating well, almost anything we put out, the goldfinches seem to be permanently fixed to the feeding, hopefully I have got a reasonable photo through the window.

Keep warm everyone.

Ann x