Hobbies and Crafts

l'm back:o))) exhausted, grandson has worn us both out:o)))
Nite nite....lol
jude:o)

It is Ann,
but not as beautiful as where I was brought up , Clydach a village 6 miles west of Abergavenny. Google Clydach Gorge.
The gorge is full of huge beech tree and tumbling streams and waterfalls. Fields of bluebells.All types of birds and wildlife in abundance, magnificent Jays( but they play havoc with the veg crops ).I remember going on Nature walks with my teachers whilst in junior school ( I lived next to the school) and I could probably have told the teachers more than they told me, cos they were townies.lol.and had heard or learnt it all before from my parents:)

Sandie, what a lovely area to live.

Hi Jude,
Sorry I didn't reply earlier,
Black mountains a picturesque area to walk with loads of wildlife and birds.
I'm in North Gwent half a mile from the border with Powys, near Ebbw Vale.
Hope you enjoy your few days away :)
Sandie.x

Hi Jude,
I don't know where everyone's gone , but is is very quiet on this thread.
Could you send some of your Woodpeckers up here, I would love to see one. We've had the usual sparrows, chaffinches, young robins, and the blackbirds have reappeared, doves, and this morning I counted 15 jackdaws after I'd filled the feeders. They drive me mad.
We get lots of seagulls on the roof, but they never land in the garden, but if I throw bread etc over the stone wall into the field they come down then. It is an offence to feed seagulls here, and you can be fined if caught. I find that so ridiculous - if you live at the coast you expect seagulls - they were here first.
Just been on the beach with Ianto, deserted as usual, but the oystercatchers are back I see.
If your sister is desparate todo some weeding, there are plenty here!

Regards
Tec.

Cooee everyone, where are you?? ....:o)

Wellll we now have a thrush visiting again, he's been around the past couple of days, needless to say l have'nt seen him though. The nuthatch is back, could be a youngster and 2 woodpeckers, apparently 6 have been seen in garden at bottom of ours and another neighbour had 4....lucky people. The chaffinches and greenfinches are also back. Aww and a baby bluetit (l think) got shut in the green house, when he flew out it sat on fence for a good 5 mins getting his breath back bless him, it must have been boiling in there:o((((

My sister could'nt stand it today and did some weeding in my garden, l knew she would'nt last much longer!!! lol

Dog sitter here tomorrow as we're away for a few days:o)
Take care:o)

jude :o)

Tec........l have the same sort of thing as Ann:o))

jude

Thankyou Ann..........

I can't find anything like that locally, but am hoping to get over to Shrewsbury shortly, so I may find something like you describe there.

Regards
Tec.

Tec
The nyger feeder I have has really tiny little holes in it, big birds can't get the seeds out of the holes.

Ann
Glos

Hello Sandie:o)

Apparently it was past Crickhowell and near Bluith Wales the Black mountains....l just heard Crickhowell mentioned earlier..lol
l live in Monmouth:o)) where are you now?

jude :o)

Hi Jude
Do you live near Crickhowell ?
I was born there, nearest hospital at the time, spent the 1st 20 yrs of my life about 6 miles from there in the family home and the rest about 11 miles away since I got married.
Lovely area to go walking and to see loads of birds :)

Evening all:o))

Whilst away l tried very hard to get my cousin and his son interested in the birds in the garden......grrrr....no luck:o((

Our garden seems full of young sparrows and c/doves, l would think we have about 10 young sparrows and almost the same with the doves. Still about 4 or 5 Magpies, the usual jackdaws and starlings. One of the baby robins has his full feathers now. Not seen many blackbirds:o(

Vic got back about 4.30pm from an 8 mile walk somewhere near Crickhowel, he was exhausted and jumped straight into a bath. Alot of uphill then down again, thoroughly enjoyed it though:o))

Madoc spent best part of the day at my feet ether in the garden whilst l was trying to put washing out, or whilst l was ironing, big daft lump!!! lol

Ann....l did'nt know that either about the Puffin!!

My sister had about 40 young sparrows in one tree yesterday, she said it was so funny cause the branch was going lower and lower with the weight of them.....daft bat did'nt have her camera handy!!! doww

jude:o)

Hi Jude............Good to see you back!

It's been very quiet here - so what's been happening on your patch?

I want to try to attract Goldfinches back to my garden. Given that I am plaqued with Jackdaws that create havoc on the feeders, can anyone suggest the best kind of feeder for Nyger Seed, as I cannot afford to feed the jackdaws on it. All suggestions welcome.

Regards
Tec.

Cooee:o)

Back from Sussex this afternoon:o)) so good to be back l can tell yeh:o))

l have caught up and will be back over the weekend:o))

jude:o))

No wonder they are difficult to see, they are never here!!

another bird (is it Shearwaters?) heads for South America. That is a long flight!

Ann......No - I didn't know that either, and I'm surprised.

One of my bird books mentions that they winter at sea.

Tec.

Did you see Country file last night? There was a piece on Skomer the Islnd off wales where Puffins, Shearwaters etc breed. I didn't know that Puffins spend just three months in the breeding season on land then fly out to sea for the rest of the year.

Ann
glos

Lots of excitement and activity among the sea birds this morning - gulls, cormerants frantically feeding just off shore - must be a shoal of mackeral in the bay. The oyster catchers seem to have disappeared from the beach.

Fledgling robins being fed by parents in the garden, and we seem to have quite a lot of baby sparrows around, as well as those just hatched.
I am pleased about that, as I read that nationally their numbers are dwindling.

Have not seen the giant toad again.

Regards
Tec.

We put out sunflower hearts as well, unfortunately the pigeons also enjoy them and have bigger appetites!

Hi Ann. I think it was about 5 years ago, one January day that I first noticed one solitary goldfinch. I had put out the seeds that you have Ann. I was thrilled, but not with the ensuing thistle plants all over the garden in the spring..lol ...So I sought advice and someone said they like sunflower hearts. Since then we have at least 6 pairs and lots of babies....and sunflowers everywhere...which I don't mind !

Maggie