Hobbies and Crafts

Hi all I'm back again. Had a lovely holiday in Cornwall and even got a better tan than I did in Spain earlier in the year.

I've read back over the days I've missed to catch up. Tec we used to see low flying aircraft over OH's parents' farm in Devon. You felt you could touch them if you were walking down the field. One of the dogs used to think she could chase them like she did the crows. Not sure what they were - some kind of jet fighter. As far as the garden goes I think I may have enough to be going on with here. We had the tree surgeon in to take lots of dead wood, too high to reach safely, out of the weeping willow so a lot of weight was taken out. We need to look after that as it provides a lot of cover, roosting and perching for the birds.

We visited some lovely places in Cornwall. We went to the Eden Project to see what it was like and I thought it would be over-hyped but it's not, it's fascinating and very good value for money even for a day ticket, but just by gift aiding the price they give you an annual ticket for the same price so we can go back and see it in another season. In the mediterranean biome there was a little robin posing for all the visitors who wanted to snap it. It certainly knew what it was doing.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are fantastic too. 200 acres of formal garden, woodland, farmland and "jungle" to explore. They have a wonderful wildlife project area with a hide and cameras to see more of what's going on. But we were lucky the day we went as there was plenty happening in front of our eyes. So many lovely birds to see and lots of good information provided too.

We walked a bit of the South West Coastal Path one day from Cape Cornwall to Lands End which is of course beautifully rugged. We saw gulls feeding their young right in front of us. And back in St Ives harbour we saw storm petrels too.

Magnolia, when I was young we used to have the clouds and wires of starlings where we lived then too. I agree it is an amazing sight. Dad managed to capture a bit of it one evening at sunset on his now old fashioned, but then all the rage Super 8 Cine camera - out of the toilet window would you believe. My brother has that now, but I'll never forget it.

YCaz I'm not sure those birds were goldcrests. They have a little golden stripe from the top of their beak to the nape of their neck. We had a few last year but I haven't seen them since the heavy snow last winter. I hope they come back - they look for all the world like the snitch in Harry Potter films when they fly about, they're so small, or maybe flying ping pong balls.

The birds seem to be more evident again in the garden after having to concentrate on their babies - they must try and hide a bit then I suppose. Earlier this week we had a couple of coal tits back on the feeder. Their tails are longer than they are. And today it was sunny and still enough to go back down the garden and just enjoy sitting by the river and watching. There's a wild area on the other side and a couple of the larger trees reach over and meet ours so it feels quite secluded. A little robin came and sat by us for a chat. And we could see more birds going to the feeder at the top of the garden. We were even lucky enough to see a green woodpecker while we were down there. He flew over and stopped in our alder tree right above us very briefly until he realised we and two of our cats were down below - not that they were concerned, lazy bones. The canada geese still seem to head north-south at about 8.30 in the morning and back again just before dusk. I wonder how much longer that will be? We also saw a buzzard wheeling high on a thermal in the distance looking for lunch.

We've got quite bumper crops of berries round here this year too. The sloes are like bunches of grapes! There are also lots of hips, haws and elderberries. So I was wondering about a hard winter too. But for myself I shall enjoy the gin I'm making. I made sloe gin for the first time last year having moved to the countryside and decided to make use of some of nature's bounty. It was only a small amount but it sure hit the spot! I know I'm not supposed to make it until there's been a frost but because of the huge harvest I'm experimenting. I couldn't resist picking some in late August so I have a brew going already. Then according to the website I'm using for advice September is really the earliest you should make it and I have a nice haul to start off tonight during a little fun family activity. Then we went on another sloe hunt to check where I might find some more if other people have the same idea for after the first frost. So I'll have three batches to try and that should mean I can do the best thing and have enough to save for next year too after I've used some for gifts. Then from next year I'll be making it a year in advance for best results as they say.

Lor lumme, that's an essay. I've used up nearly all my space.

Hello Everyone....just flew in to say more photo's on blog:o)

jude :o)

Hello Everyone,

Talking of starlings, one of the most spectacular sights I've ever seen was in Aberystwyth last October. I first heard them, then a cloud of thousands of starlings came into view. The varying flight patterns were fascinating as they changed direction wheeling and whirling around the sky in unison, as if obeying a central command. They came over in three waves, following the coast from south to north. That was a sight I shall never forget - spectacular.
My garden birds are slowly returning here. Today we had the usual sparrows, chaffinches, doves, and of course jackdaws. Also bluetits, a great tit, robin who sang all day in the apple tree, and greenfinches.

Yesterday I spotted a raven. He wheeled about above me for a while, and I couldn't make out what it was, then he landed on the roof of a stone barn, making the characteristic kind of croaking noise they make.
The buzzards and red kites are also back.

Regards to everyone,
Tec

Hi
I will send the photos if someone will be kind enough to pm me and tell me how to upload the pictures.
Thanks
Von

Ann I think those tiny birds would be Goldcrests, along with the Firecrest it is the smallest British bird, not sure if it's the european one as well.
They are quarter of an inch shorter than the wren, we used to watch them a lot in a place we went birdwatching.
Hope you are enjoying your holiday.

Caz xx

Just read your post again and not sure now I've seen yellow chest.

I don't think I have seen starlings here.Some years ago there were hundreds and they would all fly together into our fir trees for the night.They made such a racket too.
Saying that ,I think they were starlings.Could they have been sparrows???? I'm not sure now lol

Don't the starlings get ready to fly off to Spain this time of year? Well the ones that came here from Spain for the summer.

This morning in the hedge outside our window were the tiniest little birds, a bit smaller than a blue tit, they were greyish with yellow chests and heads much like a wren with a tiny pointed beak, must look them up in the bird book in the car.

Yes Von, send Jude your pics. I for one would love to see them. Amazing again today, never seen so many starlings. They have doubled in number.Something disturbed them and one lot flew off, then the other and they met in flight, looking like a cloud in the sky. There must be hundreds. Can't wait for tomorrow ..lol

Maggie

Von if you have a good pic Jude will put it on her Blog.

On our walk today we saw a chiff chaff, and, we think, a skylark and also a buzzard which was really close right over us. Unfortunately I couldn't get my camera out quickly enough to snap it and it flew off, obviously wasn't going to get any food while we were there.

Magnolia
I had an amazing experience one year in Germany.
There were lots of starlings about so we went to have a better look in a car park.
This was near a field and at first we couldn't see anything when all of a sudden a mass of starlings all rose out of the field into the sky together.
It wasn't the least bit scary quite the opposite and we have a lovely photograph.
Von

I heard something on TV the other day saying that pidgeons have a kind of powder on their feathers and that is what is left on the windows when they fly into them.It leaves their shape.A bit Ghostly!!

My son was stood outside the back door today chatting on his mobile and got hit on the head by a Walnut .Complete in it's outer covering.Some bird must have dropped it lol

I am finding a lot of empty egg shells on my lawn at the moment.I have a feeling it is the Magpies AGAIN .

Wow, what a sight this afternoon. Starlings on the telegraph wires, they do it each year at this time. The sound of them was amazing, so loud. There must have been at least 200. I would love to see them in flight as you see on the TV in their thousands. Has anyone else seen it ?
Took a few snaps, but the pics do not represent the sheer awe of it all.
Maggie

We saw a cormorant today and this morning from our window we are sure we saw some skylarks but they were too quick to really be sure.

Brian....we did'nt get any rain at all:o)))) gawd l do hope you get your trousers dry for the morning !! lol

We get patterns like that too, amazing are'nt they....you can see the legs and beak sometimes:o)

jude :o)

We seem to get a lot of birds flying into our windows, mainly pigeons who leave the pattern of their body and wings on the glass but normally survive.
Found a dead smaller one over the weekend.

On another tack, the rain today has ben heavier than for months and months.
Over the hour and a half it took me to get home it found all the faults in my motorcycle gear and I had to change completely apart from my socks!
I don't know if the gear will dry out for the morning (must turn the trousers inside out).

Jane
Thats sad,we have birds still doing that to our windows even though we have those bird sticker things on the windows!!

jude:o(

I found a little baby finch this morning(green I think)it was dead on the seat just outside my back door.I wonder if it had flown into the window.Poor little thing.

Ann no we didn't go to the view point.It wasn't particulary clear that day.I loved the sound those golden pheasants make.
I hope you are having a great holiday.
PS I changed my name from Helen to Jane (as that is my real name)

Hi all, had a wonderful afternoon in the garden as the weather is beautiful. I had some new potatoes left over from a party on Saturday night, (I usually fry up leftovers, but these were well travelled !) So I chopped them up for the birds and put a few out. They love them, but before I put any more out there I hope I am not doing harm. Has anyone else put potatoes out ??
10 Goldfinches were sat on the television aerial waiting for me to put out the sunflower seeds and my little robin is here again...
Maggie
PS and edited...great photos on the blog Jude, thanks