Hobbies and Crafts

They always remind me of lamp shades poor things, so undignified. Hope he heals soon and learns to leave it alone Jude.

birds feeding well again today, shows it has turned colder again, a really cold wind today.

Hello Everyone.
Yes it feels a lot colder again today and the birds are stuffing themselves silly.
The long tailed tits love the coconut shell fat with all its lovely nuts in.There are 5 ans all eat at the same time,all in a circle.The the blue tits arrive and chase them off.
Our snowdrops are open in the garden too,and have been for a couple of weeks or so.Not fully open quite yet.

Poor Madoc and his lampshade.I do hate those things.Is it a see thru one?

Hi Folks,
Lots of very hungry birds in the garden, all the usual visitors, sparrows, chaffinches, blue and great tits, blackbirds, a thrush, starlings, collared doves and jackdaws. Last week we had a fieldfare one day, and a redwing the next, but haven't seen them since. Thered kites are around, but no sight of the buzzards for several weeks.

We have had a squirrel visiting for some time now, however, a rat appeared on the scene - not very welcome - a few days ago I witnessed something exrtaordinary. The squirrel was eating on the floor, when suddenly the rat appeared and attacked the squirrel. A battle royal ensued, and the squirrel got away, but not before taking a nasty bite to his face. The squirrel ran up a small fruit tree and was looking down at the rat, who was doing it's best to climb the tree, but couldn't.
The rat was very aggressive. Sadly we have not seen the squirrel again, but the rat is here every day. Today I reluctantly bought a rat trap. It is against my nature to kill anything , but the rat has become a pest.

Jude - I have been following Madocs progress, I hope he is soon healed and the lamoshade can come off - must drive him mad.
Ianto is ok, as you know, he doesn't see too well now, and stays very close to me all the time. We do have trouble getting him to go up and down the stairs, because he has lost his confidence.
He never did get the hang of using the ramp I made for him to get into the back of the car. I have tried to pick him up, but he is much too heavy for me to lift. Anyway, he's still enjoying walks, but stays close by my side instead of trotting off doing his own thing.

Give Madoc a big cwtch from me.

Tec

Evening all:o)

Yep he's still wearing the bucket. Its one of those clear ones. He's had the stitches out today and the wound is abit moist hence the bucket. Vic unfortunately keeps taking the bucket off Madoc, he thinks its unfair, then l noticed the wound was bleeding....grrr men!!

Loads of birds again today, about a dz woodpigeons plus the usual. We stil have 3 robins and they are often together which is unusual is'nt it?

We visited the Red Kite feeding station at Gigrin Farm, Rhayader yesterday. Brilliant, approx 300 birds hovering, swooping and feeding and somewhere amongst them was a Black Kite, needless to say we did'nt see it :o(
It was very busy there, infact we stood in a field as the hides were packed:o)

We then drove on to the Elan Valley reservoir, fantastic sight, but not quite as fullas it could have been. There was still ice on some of the lakes and quite big patches of snow. Whilst we were driving on the main roads towards Elan we could see the mountainous ranges with snow on the top, then we were driving amongst it. l took some photo's will get them on blog asap.

Aw bless Ianto, Madoc sends a big cwtch back:o))

jude

We had a friend who lived in Llandrindod Wells years ago (he was there when there was that earthquake). When we visited we went out for a drive to Rhayader and the Elan Valley. I remember it was a lovely area.

We hadn't seen the swans at our garden for quite a long time but this week we have a lone adolescent wanting his lunch. Must have been the only male cygnet of the family this year. The Cob swan sees off the young males and I remember it being about this time last year that we saw them separated off.

Evening all:o)

Photo's on blog:o)

jude

The birds had slowed up their eating for a couple of days, but today they are stuffing again and the temperature has dropped. The woodpigeons seem to be going over the next field thoroughly, there are green crops in ther and i shouldnt think there is much left, they have been at it for more than a week.

Please excuse my ignorance,but where is the Elan Valley ?Lovely pics on the blog.

did everyone see about the swans at Slimbridge, there was a pair there for several years and every year they would return together from Russia. This year the male has another partner and so does the female. This, apparently is almost unheard of. Wonder what caused the 'split'?

The Elan Valley is in mid Wales Jane. It has it's own website www.elanvalley.org.uk. I can recommend it.

It's colder here too and an online weather forecast says we could have snow AGAIN at the weekend. We'll see. The birds are going through the food very fast at the moment and the ducks and moorhens seem to like the food I got for them. I'm seeing the lonely swan about once a day but he still seems to have no friends yet. Also there is a cock pheasant that seems to come every morning to the ground feeder but I have a nasty feeling I may be fattening him up for someone else's table. Shan't thinka about that too much.

Thanks Lizzie.I will have a look at the Web Site.
I keep seeing a White Pheasant.Are they unusual?It is always on it's own.

Evening all:o)

Ann...no l had'nt heard about the swans, amazing!!

Dizzielizzie...your swan obviously knows where his bread is buttered. Do you think it could be the youngster that was seen off by the cob?

Jane...l've not seen a whte pheasant before either! can you take a photo??

Hello Jean (Monmouth)....the farmers won't be too pleased will they...lol

Our squirrell has knawed at the nut holder and a piece of wire is broken, he can now get whole nuts out and probably 2 at a time...little monkey!! lol

Will try and find some good photo's of the Kites feeding:o)

jude:o))

What time do the birds feed Jude? at Rhayader

A white pheasant sounds interesting.

Yes Jude, I do think our swanny no mates is probably an adolescent seen off by Dad. I know Dad is a formidable force and won't brook any opposition to his rule. Just a shame this year it seems the youngster has no "bruvvas" to keep him company, but it does mean he at least doesn't behave like a hoody asbo swan like the couple we had visiting around this time last year.

Also our squirrels have knawed at the frame of the ground feeder table. Don't know why apart from keeping their teeth sharp! It's not as if the food on it is difficult to get at. It's not like our old plastic peanut feeder which they knew they could work at to get what they wanted.

Ann.....2pm until March, then 3pm

jude:o)

DizzieLizzie....have just added your photo's, sorry l had'nt looked at that email address.
l see what you mean about the size of the baby Seagull and a very clever Robin:o))

Such is nature,they keep themselves in order a darn sight better than we humans do:o)))
Vic was going to try and mend the nut feeder but has decided to leave it for now in the hope Mr Squirrel will be satisfied as it is!! lol

Ann....are you thinking of going then:o) Might be a good idea to phone the Rangers office. It was'nt at full flow on Sunday and we have'nt had any rain since. Check this site out for info.


http://www.elanvalley.org.uk/visiting-elan/

jude;o))

Not thinking of going at the moment Jude, were going to go last year but didn't get around to it.

Hi everyone.
I have seen the white pheasant once more.Must take my camera next time I go down to the church.It must live around there.
We have had a dark brown one in the garden this last week.I think it is a pheasant.This morning when I went down the garden I must have scared it and it shot out from under the big fir tree squawking and flew over to next door.it gave me a real shock as I didn't know it was there lol

When we lived at a farmhouse we were plagued by squirrels at the bird feeders. We had one hung on a wire which stretched from shed to house, and OH put a collar on the shed end to stop the squirrels running along the wire and helping themselves. It didnt work, they would just jump over the collar and carry on. I n the end I cut a squash bottle and stood it out on the concrete with peanuts under it specially for the little so-and-so's. They soon learned to lift it up and get the nuts from under! I have regularly seen squirrels cross the road via the telephone cables as if they were on a high wire! Not so many about these days, though.