Hobbies and Crafts

DizzieLizzie....probably told you before, but l used to live inTangmere, so West Wittering was one of our seaside day out's:~))

Another photo on blog. l know now one of the things l did wrong, but l'm stillhaving probs finding the photo's l have downloaded from your emails for blog:o(( Off to have another look.

We have been gardening again today, pheww so much to do still, have taken some before photo's and will take some after ones too:o)

Birds were all of a twitter cause they could'nt get to the seed, as soon as we stopped for a cuppa they flew down. Loads of baby sparrows, all trying to bath and drink at the same time:o) lol

jude

We went to the New Forest yesterday and had a lovely day out with my old cub pack at Beaulieu. The Akela previous to me was there too so it was quite a little reunion. The camp site the cubs were on had a couple of Kune Kune pigs and while a couple of us went to see them the owner came to bring them some extra treats for the day. She showed us that one of them will sit in order to get his treat, but usual thing no camera to the ready. Then on the drive home we saw a hare in the road ahead which bounced right over the hedgerow in front of us, and as dusk began to turn to darkness a barn owl flew low across the road right in front of the car. Luckily we were going quite slowly on a country roads as the route is quite cross country so we got a pretty good look at both. Lovely end to our day.

Also on Saturday the mandarin ducks came to visit us again and the pair spent quite a bit of time on our garden. This time they didn't disappear as soon as I came out of the patio doors. So armed with camera I popped to the shed to get some food for them and I actually have a few photos, yay! Got to get OH to help me load them onto my new laptop because I think I have to install the camera software to do it and I can't find the instructions anymore. I think if I shove the disc in it will probably tell me what to do well enough, but I'd just like a right hand man in case it asks me to do something I'm not sure of.

When I was growing up first as a child with parents and later in late teens with prospective OH we used to drive to West Wittering from Fareham, quite a way then as no motorways or large roads, all country roads but worth it for the beach, loved it.

So funny here this morning, our bird table has a roof and the baby starling were all sitting under the roof sheltering from the rain, looked like a lot of old men having a meeting.

When I get round to it I have another hawk photo from Puerto de la Cruz to send you Jude.

I have taken down my fat cake and coconut,and goodness me the birds have gone else where lol.I have not replaced the cake thing at the moment at it has been attracting the Magpie and I know there are some nests near that one.The coconut is just over a window box where OH has just put in plants and he is a bit particular lol.There are still plenty of birds down the bottom of the garden,so I'm happy with that for now.
I haven't seen the Red Kite for about a week now.

Morning:o)) blimey no ones been on here for 10 days:o((((

We found a dead greenfinch the other day, next day it had gone, l wonder what took it, Crow or simular.

We've had 3 sparrows nests and yesterday l watched 3 young take their first flight....then they all disapeared:o(( they looked so cute, one was sliding down the roof and then woosh off he went and landed on the fence, 2 others joined him and the parents and off they all went!!

My gardens looking good now, so many flowers and colours, will get a photo or 2 on the blog. We still have the path round the back to finish and then the rest of the bark can go down.

Madoc is fine, he came away with us to Worksop last weekend, was as good as gold until he met the rabbit!!! ooops....it was in run/cage fortunately!!

See yeh
jude

Sitting having lunch on the edge of a heath today in Dorset we saw a yellow hammer, unfortunately I didn't have my camera open.

Are you on holiday there again Ann?We are off to Suffolk on Saturday for a week so I may get to see some waterbirds.

This morning there was a Woodpidgeon and a little bunny eating on the lawn side by side.I did take a photo but havent put in on the computer yet so don't know how close they will come up.

At last. Yesterday just before I left the house for work the swans came by after a long absence. They have 3 cygnets that looked quite new so I hope they manage to keep them. Last year they had 5 or 6 which all seemed to make it to full size.

The mandarins who were sitting on our garden the other day now have 5 little chicks too, so we have quite a few little ones along with the mallard ducklings to be watching over.

That sounds lovely to have all those babies.We haven't any in our garden but the Moorhens that were in our Yew hedge earlier in the year have moved back next door and are parading their chicks.I can see them from my bedroom window.I have a horrible feeling though that there a couple of chicks missing.

We do have moorhens on the river too, but we haven't seen any babies from them this year. Mind you they're not so brave as the other water birds with the cats around as the adults are that much smaller.

Jane, back home again now but, yes we were on holiday for a week in Burton Bradstock, different accommodation, mixed weather but mostly good and we had a lovely time.

You lucky devils having all these water birds in your garden:o)

Ann.....pleased you had a nice time, we like Dorset too:o)

jude :o)

Photo of my mosaic on blog:o))

We had greenfinch plus 3 babes on lawn yesterday, also Vic thinks he saw a bullfinch. The woodpecker flew in and straight out on Fri, and the baby sparrows plus parents are back....yehhh:o))

Any photos to put on the blog please send to me, l think l ave sussed it now:o))

jude x

See the time l put this on....ll.ll.ll. :o)

jude

It seems we're now sharing our garden with bank voles. Over the past couple of years I have seen them occasionally on the other side of the river, but yesterday when I went down to feed the ducks I noticed the grass under the willow tree was looking very slightly lumpy in sort of lines and circles. When I walked over there the bits that looked slightly raised were also very spongy underfoot and there was evidence of where something had been digging. Small circles where it looked like a whole had been made and then filled in again. OH has been on t'internet and discovered the reason. Suppose it was inevitable really but I wonder why they've chosen now to set up their squat and never before?

Apparently there's nothing much we can do about it. They don't have the benefit of moles that they eat pests, they're herbivores, so the bluebells that were down there may have gone the way of all flesh. Not such a bad thing as they are the wrong sort of bluebells (not native) which were here when we came and I'm not one for destroying things so we left them, but I'd prefer natives. Hope my aconites and snowdrops hold out though.

I hope they don't become a pest, but don't they know we've got 3 cats?

In Dorset the place we stayed had a bird feeder and there was a bullfinch on it one day, didn't know they went to feeders in gardens.

Has anyone else got a large number of starlings now this years babies are active? Our s are so greedy/hungry, they have demolished about 12 fat balls in two days, can't keep up with it.

did you see that the numbers of Goldcrests was sadly depleted due to the harsh winter?

Ann.....we have had a few more Starlings, infact one parent was showing his/her babes how to use the bird bath earlier, went to take a photo and they flew off, and a few were on the front lawn. We have'nt put fat balls out for ages.
The other day Vic thought he saw a Bullfinch, infact it was a Goldfinch.....today we had a whole family of them,bout 6....beautiful:o)

No l did'nt know about the Goldcrest, thats sad!

jude

Yes Jude and Ann, I've been worried about our goldcrests since the winter. Although we didn't see them all the time, we saw one or two fairly regularly last year. I had thought I'd seen one once earlier this year but never seen any since. They're such gorgeous tiny little things but of course their size means they don't have much in the way of warmth reserves for the extended very cold weather we had.

I have to hope I was correct and that there's more than one to begin to swell numbers here again.

Lizzie