Hobbies and Crafts

Morning everyone..
Not got the last photo on blog yet Ann, sorry forgot :o(

The birds are still feeding well, although not so many at a time, it seems they have their pecking order (scuse the pun!!) W/pigeons first with the robins darting here and there, then the blackbirds,again with the robins, then the finches join in with who ever can get a look in. No thrush this morning nor the tailess blackbird, nor the reed bunting:o(

We have'nt had a blackcap for well over a yr now. Strange how different birds use different area's for food, we have all sorts habbitats here, the river banks, the forest, woodland, gardens, farmland with hedgerows.

My sister lives in Chepstow and from her bungalow you can see the old 7 bridge, she has so many seagulls flocking into her graden they drive her mad!! But she also has a goldfinch everyday, where as we have never had one:o(

jude :o)

Just had a female blackcap on the bird table. Thought it strange thatw e had not seen blackcaps this snowy weather.

The Field fare is very aggressive towards male Blackbirds, it stalks round the garden and shoos them off, ignores starlings though. Had a thought maybe the fieldfare is female.

Jane, not sure what moorhens eat, maybe they will eat bird seed, I will see if the bird books say.

Susan, I have heard that about chocolate too.

You will be pleased to know that Dizzie Lizzie is OK has had PC problems and will be back soon

Hi *.*Mag*nolia*.*
I have been told that if you put chocolate in a rat trap the rats like chocolate and should be hey presto.
My friend had them in her garden as she would feed all the birds with anything and everything. Not sure if they liked her food best as there was a Kebab shop at the back of them!!!
She found there was a "family of mum, dad and 3 babes".
You will have to share your choccie with them.
Sue B

We have two Moorhens that are in our garden a few times a day.Next door has a small lake in their back garden but it is frozen still.I was wondering what the normally eat .They seem to spend a lot of time mooching around under the seed feeder and fat ball.Do they eat the same as any other wild birds?

Not only have we still got our Fieldfare who has obviously sussed out where the apples and pears are, but we also have in the tree at the end of the garden a couple of Redwings, identified by the stripe over the eye.

Hello Maggie:o)

Ah bless what a lovely story, l would be the same as you...lol

We had a f/blackbird here yesterday with no tail, not seen her today, hope she's ok.

More photo's on the blog:o)

Tec......can you pass this message onto Ianto......."Hiya mate,l'm off to the vets in the morning to get me dressings changed, then l'll eat that bonio. Keep up the walks with your master, l miss mine, love the snow but wish it was gone now so l don't have to worry about getting the bandage wet...grrr"


jude :o) x

Hi All....Been well and truly entertained over the Christmas and New year period, but then ratty decided to appear !. He loves the sunflower seeds dropped by the goldfinches, and the bread. So..moved the bread on the top of the shed and took down the sunflower feeders. But of course, no goldfinches for days. Bought a humane rat trap, but all I caught were nosy blackbirds eating the food. No matter what I put in it the rat just would not go in. Of course I could let the blackbirds free in a matter of minutes.
So today, after missing the goldfinches, I put the sunflower feeder back up, and along came...Ratty, again !. But he has been so funny, jumping up and down through the snow trying to get the food, that my heart melted. Please God he doesn't multiply in numbers. I am such a softee...lol

Maggie

I love all the new photos Jude.

Hi all


Loads more names on here,thats great:o))

Ann.....the latest photo you sent is on the blog along with a link:o)

Daff....who's a clever girl then that sounds great.....photo's please??

jude :o) x

Daff well done, surprising what a bit of ingenuity can do isn't it?

Pam, glad it doesn't inhibit you too much, I know some people don't like birds flying around them, but at least you are feeding them so well done.

Hi Ann, it's quite a common phobia apparantly. I'm fine with large birds ie. pidgeons, ducks, (we used to keep ducks) peacoks, you get the general picture! But it's the legs, sounds comical I know, so it's birds that have really long thin legs. i think it's how the legs and claws go with blackbirds, thrushes, even the little robins!!

It doesn't hamper me too much though.

Pam. ☺

PS We're near to the coast , about 4 miles so we have sea gulls about, but I'm ok with them as they don't have the spindly legs!!!

*All excited* they are there, Ann.... I cut up some empty milk cartons.... threaded some string through holes... and put seed in one, fat balls in another, apples and banana in another... and in the fourth some water....... I can't see the apple and banana cos it is on the far side of the garage door... but... the bits all around the kitchen have had a couple of tentative birdies, lolol....... mind you, theyare keeping a very close eye on the cats, lol...... chaffinch types... they look quite big!! And the water has been very popular... they have all gone back to it a couple of times.

I am soooooo pleased... I suppose they must be so desperate that they are chancing their arm.... erm, I mean wings, lolol. One of them was washing!! Brrrrrr in this weather!

It doesn't look very pretty, but if it is successful, I shall maybe look at a way of getting something prettier in place.

I have been so pleased with my handiwork, that I have gone around all the metal arbours at the back, (where the decking is, Ann) which is where I notice they were looking for food earlier.... and I have a stunning selection of the bottoms of plastic pop bottles and empty cartons, all strung up and dangling, lol... let's see what happens, lol... and if they are safe from the cats...... great stuff, I shall carry on all year around!

Love

Daff xxxx

That must be unpleasant Pam. Maybe getting a bird book and seeing what birds you have, identifying them etc will help you to overcome it if you get interested in their habits. Does that mean you have bad problems visiting places that have pigeons and seagulls etc flying around? Have you tried councilling and help for the problem.

The blue and great and coal tits like black sunflower seed Susan, and they will also eat from fat balls. They don't mind being nearer the house but prefer it if they have a tree or shrub very close. For example our seed feeders and fat balls that the tits and greenfinches feed from are in our apple tree so they have branches to eat their seed on. The Tits like to take a piece of seed and fly to a nearby branch to eat it.

I have a bad bird phobia, (Onophobia) but I have been putting Christmas cake out for them. A lovely friend of mine made us a huge cake but we don't like fruit cake so the old birds have been doing well in our garden...maybe watching them through the lounge window will help my phobia...they come pretty close!!

Best regards

Pam. ☺

I have blackbirds that now wait for their food first thing in
the morning, Thrushes and pigeons. plus the occasional squirrel.
I put out bread, aples and bits of cheese. Seed from the pet shop.
I have a bird feeder on a stand at the bottom of the garden but the little birds never feed from it
I have home made fat balls hanging as well and still no feeding. Any ideas so that I can attract the blue tits etc.
Sue x

Daff they will come close to the house when they have got used to it but you have to be patient normally.

Daff there has been lots of squabbling going on this morning .At one point 3 Robins were having right brawl!!