Hobbies and Crafts

This morning I ventured out dead early.... we have some Montana coming over from next door, and I know there is at least one wren in there... so out I ventured, in pj's, wellies, hubby's thick coat and hair all sticky uppy... and I put a dish on top of the hanging basket nestling in amongst the montana.. put some fat ball and some of the seed, and a small dish with some fresh water... and the wren has had a good feed... it was chased off by the robin in the end... I had put his food up near the ivy... the cats won't walk over the ivy draped over the fence...

I used some of those S hooks you hang kitchen things on... made a couple of holes in an old sandwich thing, and it hangs sort of sideways, like a little mini bus shelter, from the ivy tendrils lol... I have put a bit of catfood, some seed and a fat ball in there as well... the dish of water was too heavy. I have seen lots of pretty birds feeding there, and all from the comfort of the conservatory... magical!! They were all squabbling at one stage!!

The jays have been again, on the shed roof... that is at the side of the house... Ann, where you were sitting when you were here, I am thinking of hanging food from the basket brackets there... do you think the birds would come that close to the house? It was on that low fence, on the other side of the gate, that the thrush was landing. That is what made me think of it.

Love

Daff xxxx

They take a while to adjust to new feeding stations. Be careful if the fat balls are in netting as the small birds can catch their claws so keep an eye on them.

Hi
We have had some goldfinches in the garden but not recently.
There isn't much going on in the garden at the moment although three Magpies were having an autication this morning and the Crows were sussing out the Magpies nest.
Stand by for turf wars.
OH has hung out some fat balls on our tree but no takers so far.
Take care
Von

Those goldfinches and a couple more (well I assume they are the same ones) are here every day all day, they hardly ever stop feeding.
The Fieldfare has been back several times and spent at least an hour feeding on apple in the garden this morning.

We have 2 Magpies in our garden too.I think they may be the culprits that nick the fatballs lol

Ann
I'll keep the camera ready.
I loved your pictures of the goldfinches on Judes blog.
Von

Lol, a bashful magpie that I have to see.

Ann
No LOL.
Funnily enough I missed an opportunity a couple of weeks ago when same two birds were canoodling to take a photo. It looked as if they were kissing each other.
When I went to get camera they flew off probably didn't like being watched!!
Von

did they put a roof on it Von? We thought we saw starlings collecting nesting material last week before the snow, they may have changed their minds now though.

Hi
Would you believe it I looked out the window this morning and there were two Magpies building a nest.
Mind you they might have been building a shelter from the cold!!
Take care everyone.
Von
who has now thawed out after the heating has been fixed.

I was..... but got sidetracked... R is now doing the dinner.... I am really really off now... the phone went, brother ringing to see how it all went, lol

Jane, things like suet won't go to waste... if the birds don't need it, I shall use it for dumplings, lol... I don't normally feed the birds... I have five cats, and the two youngsters are in their prime at just over 2... another only has 3 legs so tends to lollop... she can't creep up on them... and the two old girls spend all day hunting out sunspots and warm patches, lolol but the boys more than make up for them... the weather as it is though.... well, the birds might die of starvation, so it is desperate measures for them.... I have tried to put everything in places that will be difficult for cats to come up unawares.

Love

Daff xxxx who is off for a nap, honestly, Ann xxxxxx

I thought you were having a sleep madam!!

Well they don't fancy the raspberries lol.Just went to check the bird bath,and there seem to be birds everywhere.They suddenly appeared.I think things have maybe thawed a little in the last few hours.But now the sun has gone it'll soon freeze up again.Daff you must have spent a fortune lol.I think I paid £6 for my tub of fatballs.I don't know if that is a reasonable price.
The ones I hung on the hedge down the lane will need replacing tomorrow.

I have just bought a huge bag of mixed seed, some extra suet, a tub of fat balls and a big bag of value sultanas... they didn't have raisins or I'd have got those, too... so far, everything we have put out has been demolished... and before we went out this morning, joy of joys... the jays were feeding on the shed roof!! Now that brought a lump to my throat.

The thrush was sitting on the fence when we got back in, too.... I cut the fat off the pork we are having tonight, and chopped it up, and added it to a bit of cat food....... I have put that in amongst the shrubs, which is where I saw loads of snail shells earlier in the years, so am assuming it's *anvil* is there. Also put fat balls and catfood further up, as it seems robins and blackbirds like that, too.

It has just started to snow again, here.

Love

Daff xxxx

No She has not opened the PM. Hope she is OK. Maybe they have gone away for a couple of months or something.

I have PMd Dizzy but not had a reply. haven't checked if it has been opened will have to do that.

We had the Fieldfare in the garden again today eating some chopped apple we put out. trouble is one of the 4 resident male blackbirds frightened it off.

Jane....you could do with one of those night camera/video thingies, you have so much going on around you there.

Still no news of Dizzie.....also Bellblair, hope you are both well??

jude :o) x

I put some raspberries out that had gone over,but I don't see them being eaten.The blackbirds seem to like the apples and the Meelworm that I have been chucking uner the hedge where there is no snow.
Some kind of hawk almost flew into my kitchen window earlier.It was a close call!! Phew lol

Various photo's on blog:o))

Phoneing the vets at 2pm to check he's ready to come home.

Fed the birds again just a few mins ago with cheap digestives, atora and sultana's.....most of the rice was still there and frozen so threw it away. l'm sure they started to eat it, maybe it froze too soon and if l remember rightly they did'nt eat much last yr when l put some out, which when this thread started!!
Have some pears ripening, they left 2 tomatoes the other day, but Madoc found them and tried eating them...yuck!! lol
Wow Jane that was something to see:o))
Get back later.

jude :o) x

PS....there were a doz m/blackbirds waiting v/early this morning, it was still a wee bit dark, up early for madoc 's appointment.
The reed bunting is here again:o)

That was a lucky sighting Jane.

This morning we had 6 blackbirds in the garden, all male.