Hobbies and Crafts

glad to see this one iis still going strong, thanks for keeping it going.

I have found out where all the sparrows have gone, they are on holiday in Lanzarote (and they were definitely sparrows not canaries!) We were feeding them on our patio, we'd put softened bread out and the families would arrive, we had 10 one day including three babies being fed by parents right in front of us, they were really tame, in fact we had to shoo them off the table when we were eating.

Ann
Glos

Bellblair....have they come back yet??
We seem to have lost a few, the chaffinches and sparrows and some of the blackbirds....all nesting no doubt, but we have suddenly acquired about half a doz (maybe more) greenfinches, male and female.
Hubby has seen swallows, the first was on Wednesday about 4-6 and today about 20 of them, wounder what kind of journey they had!

jude:o)

OK whose got my birds, only seen a few this week feeders are still full.

Hi all:o)

Heard on The One Show this evening that Perequin Falcons catch pigeons.Did anyone see the pair on the towers of Chicester cathedral, they've been nesting there for 8 yrs:o))

The birds have been in a huff today cause l've been gardening and they could'nt get to the seed. As l went outside with a cuppa the male Reed Bunting flew in and stayed there feeding, he's getting quite cheeky now:o)
The green woodpecker was in the big fir tree's making a right old din.
Madoc was as usual continuosly bringing out toys and standing there waiting for me to throw or kick, l think he had everything out of his toy basket (yep he has his own toy basket:o)) lol)...he's also got a new dog bed, very comfy too, the other one was one of those bead things, l thought it would be better for him as he has bad back leg, but he hated it...the new one he loves:o))
Been feeding a neighbours 3 cats for a few days, one is a great big fat tabby, the next is a white and marmalade about normal size and the next is a another tabby, quite skinny, she's got kidney probs bless her and an abcess under her chin so needed tablets. l could'nt believe how good she was to take tabs in cheese, my old Jimmy (fat cat) was hell on legs when it came to taking tablets....they are all different though.

jude

It was just down the Bridle path across the road from me.The more I think about it I'm pretty sure they were Buzzards.I was taking the dog for a walk.
I was so close to them.

Aww Helen, how horrid:o(( but spose they have to eat like us. My cat did that once with a blackbird in the kitchen the mess was unbelievable!!!
Where did you disturb them, in your garden??
Probably buzzards, they might be a wee bit bigger than a red kite.

jude :o)

I disturbed 2 very large birds just now (either Buzzards or similar but not Kites).
They had brought down a pigeon and were busy eating it.The mess!!!!

Afternoon everyone:o)

Got back an hr ago from sons whilst the kitchen is being replaced:o)))) its looking really good, although a few mistakes by the supplers !!!! phone calls are required, fitter willdo that for us:o)

Bellblair....what are you like??

We have had one or two buzzards over head, ususally being chased, and they often bring the young this way aswell.

Vic was straight out into the garden to feed the birds, he even asked the fitters if they had thought of feeding them....he sounded very serious, but was joking!! lol

l agree about the Badgers, having the vaccination is much more humane. What needs to be done is to move a whole badger set away from an area where the farmers say they pass on TB, make it badger proof if thats possible and wait and see if any more cattle catch TB.....does that make sense......if they do, then its not the Badgers fault!! But probably an impossible task.

jude:o)

Hello Bellblair and Helen,

Pleased to read you are both seeing buzzards and kites.
The buzzards do sound strange - I always think it's like a cat mewing.

It has been colder here today with a stiff breeze, and I've noticed the birds seem to be hungry again. Filled the feeders twice today.

Spotted the badger down by the river again tonight. I see on the news they are planning to shoot a thousand badgers in Pembrokeshire.
How barbaric that is, especially as it is not proven, only suspected, that they carry TB to the cows.
In England they are going to vaccinate the badgers against TB, much more humane.

Tec

A kite or buzzard has just soared past my bedroom window!!!Beautiful sight.

Afternoon Folks and how are we all today,
Its bright and sunny here but the wind is very strong, not many birds about today, the buzzards are calling each other and they sound just like a child calling.
Been for a drive into the hill this morning what colours and guess what not a camera between us lol.

Hi Folks,

Jude - Thanks for Birdforum site - I haven't looked yet, but will take a look when I get a minute. Been up to my neck in muck and bullets tiling the bathroom - 22sq mtrs - only half done.
Good luck with the new kitchen - I can imagine the chaos at the moment.

Yes - it was very sad what happened to my dog - one of the saddest days of my life - she was beautiful - funny and inteligent.

Only everyday visitors at the feeders today - doves - sparrows - chaffinches - greenfinches - bluetits.
Robin singing it's head off in the apple tree tonight in the dark - yesterday I heard an owl hooting in the middle of the afternoon. ???

Tec

Evening all:o)

Tec...thats really sad about your dog.
Madoc brought the cheese in from the garage earlier and made no marks:o)
He likes water but no to swim in, he still loves to get a large stone, but we make him leave it after about 20 - 50 yrds. But yeh he loves the shower. They are all so different are'nt they. Our neighbour has a rottie (can't spell) named Jake, he is frightened of sqweeky toys, a real wooss (sp), hides under the table!! lol

Ref the bird of prey, why not ask the rspb, they will probably have a message board, or go to this site:

http://www.birdforum.net/

l used to belong to this site, still do but not used it for a few yrs.
Nothing to report on the bird front today been packing the kitchen up, we have a new one being installed next week:o))yehhh

nite nite

jude

Hi Bellblair,
The only bird I know that "fishes" in that way, is the Osprey.Although I'm sure there must be others. There are Ospreys nesting forty miles from here - the nest is under constant surveilance by the RSPB - there is a public viewing hide at a discreet distance.
I'm fairly sure what I saw was not an Osprey - it wasn't big enough,
but I've never seen a bird of prey take a fish out of water before.

How nice to have deer as neighbours. I have a friend who has deer visiting her garden fence in the winter - she hangs bales of hay over the fence, they seem to enjoy it.
I've discovered a hedgehog eating the birdseed underneath the feeders the last few evenings after dark.
Not many birds today - they must be busy elsewhere, but there have been about six starlings around for a few days. We don't often see them here.

Tec

Hi Tec,
I think it must have been something else, but cant guess what. have you tried googling and see what comes up.

The deer have returned to the field must be getting near for the young to be born. Batteries are charged and ready.
Not many birds feeding at present but a lot of nest building.

Hi Folks,

Jude - You are fortunate that Madoc takes so readily to water. My faithful old black lab won't go near water - hates it - cringes in the rain, walks carefully around puddles etc. His sister was so different, she loved it. Couldn't get her out of rivers or the sea once she was in. Sadly, she broke her back when she was two, and died. Thankfully my dog likes the birds, and never attempts to chase or disturb them - just lies in the garden watching them - actually I think he is too lazy to bother - until he sees a cat, that's a different story.

I've never seen reed buntings. It's interesting that the people that post here live in various parts of the UK, so see birds that frequent their areas.
Buzzards are an every day sight here, and the red kites are frequently seen.
Today I spotted two cormerants sitting on a rock just off the beach, and a few oystercatchers. The other day I saw something that puzzled me. I saw what I thought was a buzzard flying just off shore, which in itself is unusual, when suddenly it dropped like a stone, wings folded, and grabbed a large fish in it's talons off the surface of the water.
So - did I see a buzzard? or did I see something else?

Susan - My car is zapped every day by seagulls and jackdaws - I've given up. My next car will have white splodges painted all over it!

Tec

Bellblair....now thats a lovely idea, thing is with my mobile photo memory fingie is....its full, everynow and then l send them to my email box then l can delete. It only holds about 24:o((
Not tried Madoc with an egg.....his bottom pointed teeth are very blunt cause his previous owners let him chew on stones!!!!(so the vet thinks anyway)
Aw poor badgers!!
Nothing to report re the birds as we've been away, apart from whilst we were in Birmingham at the Nature Centre this morning (which was bloomin closed), checking on opening times we saw loads of longtailedtits on the big tree trunks, the ones that are all lumpy bumpy, pecking away at l presume insects! Grandson saw them and was fascinated, he just loves all animals and plants.l picked abit of bloosom for him and the smile on his face was a picture. He'll look out of the window watching the sky, birds and tree's for ages:o))

Nite nite

jude :o)

Jude
Madoc sound just like my old dog you could give him the eggs from the hen runn and he would take it to the house and not break it a very soft mouth. These a badgers set not very far from me and we see the babys dead on the road quite a lot. and I have asked for a new mobile phone one with a camera init so that I dont miss all the good pics.

Hi there:o)

Ann...have pm'd you.

Bell...we have the lambs here, but not as many as usual, don't know why that is. The fields are usually full...mind you one of them is now show ground so perhaps they have limited its use to the farmer!!

On our way to Dorset last weekend we saw 6 dead badgers, how sad:o((

Vic saw 2 buzzards this afternoon whilst walking Madoc, they were in the middle of a field....usually they are being harassed by seagulls and crows!
Madoc came home from a walk yesterday smelling of foxes, yehhh he had rolled!!!!...straight in the shower, fortunately he's very happy to get in and jumps in the bath:o)) Another thing he does and loves is carry my shopping in from the car....as soon as we get back we open the front door, then the boot and place items on the drive, he loves it and is very gentle. l can even give him meat to carry. He's the same if l go to the garage freezer, infact he'll pester me until l give him something....how cute:o)

jude :o)

Hi Folks,
Hope that you are all enjoying this good weather, birds are not eating as much at the moment as there seems to be a lot of fly hatchings going on. and the farmer is still muck spreading what a pong.
Went to daughter house to tday and sat listening to the lambs and the woodpecker. also see a sparrow hawk and 3 buzzards and a fox but chased him away as he was eyeing up the lambs and they are not very old.