Hobbies and Crafts

Jane
What lovely photos and so lucky to have seen a barn owl in the wild so to speak.
Take care
Von

Thanks Jude.I was talking to it while I was snapping away and it looked like it was listening lol

Two gorgeous photo's on the blog, well done Jane:o)

jude :o) x

Corr just going to have alook:o)))

Have sent a photo of the owl Jude.It is a Barn Owl not a Tawny.It has been around most of the day.I don't know if it missing some bit of the wing on it's right side.Looking at the photos I took one side looks longer than the other.Maybe it can't fly very far.I will see if it is about tomorrow and try and get another look.

Fantastic Jane, what a lucky sighting.

Now I've started seeing my little grey wagtail again I was surprised to see it yesterday morning right outside my bedroom window on the bit of the roof that slopes away just under the window. Having been disturbed I was amazed that it stayed there for a little while before it decided to take off. I was a bit careful how I opened the curtains this morning. I peeked through the gap first before I opened them, but nothing today.

Thanks for your good wishes, I'm gradually getting better. In fact yesterday was the first day I've been out for an hour or so for days. Although a couple of times when I was feeling a bit brighter and suffering cabin fever I popped out to the greenhouse for a little play. Took a few pelargonium cuttings and sowed some sweet peas as I've heard autumn sown ones are better than spring sown ones. So we'll see.

lol Jude.Don't think I can cock my leg high enough to get over the fence..I did have a peer over though after it had flown off ,but couldn't see anything.I will have my eyes peeled now though knowing it is about.My camera is right beside me,but I think it just a fluke that I saw it so close today.I just wish someone else could have seen it with me.

Jane...it could have dropped a pellet!!! go back and have a look:o)

jude

Lots of bugs and colds around.I hope yours clear soon Lizzie.
This afternoon I took a little walk with Chester and just as I turned into the lane I noticed something just the other side of the fence.It was a Tawny Owl,just sitting there on the grass in the field.It was only about 2 feet from me.It just looked at me and then flew off.The wing span was huge,and it didn't make a sound .It was beautiful.But I wonder why it was just sitting there.I think it must have been the same one my OH saw the other morning.

Dizzie...sorry to hear you been poorly, stay in in the warm!!

The goldcrest was on the programme that follows Autumn watch, its still autumn watch though. It was part of a quiz!!

jude :o)

I didn't see all of Autumnwatch last night and missed the bit about goldcrests - maybe I'll take another look on iplayer. Normally I'm out at one of my choirs on a Thursday but I've not been in any fit state to be among other people this week - too many germs to pass on. Just beginning to feel a bit human again today.

Hello Dizzie....how exciting, l have only seen one and that was in Pulborough W Sussex RSPB, it was bald as brass feeding from the feeders right by a gate where the public walked in:o)
Did you watch autumn watch last night....the Goldcrest weighs approx the same as a 20p piece!!!!


Jane...the owl pellets..well they look abit like a discarded piece of bedding from the nest, well sort of!! usually round ish, dark browns, with bits of feathers etc, if you open them you may see the bones too. They not neccessarily pooie!! lol...fascinating:o))

My crow is back, not seen him/her for a couple of months atleast.

Vic see's the cormorants drying their wings after fishing whilst walking Madoc.

Our mole mounds have'nt increased yet, so maybe they have moved on...lets hope so, as much as l would love to a mole:o)

jude

I'm really happy. I hadn't seen any goldcrests since our first winter/spring here. Last year I never spotted any and because they are so small I was worried that a 2nd successive cold winter might have been too much for them. But yesterday I was looking out of my daughter's bedroom window and a little green bird landed on the balcony rail. While I was wondering what it was it turned its head towards me and I could see its beautiful bright yellow crest. Couldn't believe it - made my day.

Just a quickie.....photos on blog:o)

jude x
PS...lst lot are from Vics walk on Sunday, then scroll down to the bottom of page and click on older posts, you should then see the budgies:o)

Ha ha Jude - I'm not the only one who gets downstairs and remembers why I went up in the first place. Having been in our home with slopes and steps everywhere - we have a slope down from the road to the garage, then steps down to the front door, we have upstairs and downstairs, but more than that, from downstairs we have another 8 steps to go down again to the lounge, then 10 from the patio to the main part of the garden which gently slopes down to the river - I'm rather hoping all the exercise before I even leave the house will help to keep me a bit fit. I'm not sure it's working though, but then I do enjoy my country fare a bit much so I'm scotching myself really.

Jane, we obviously have a reasonable population of badgers locally although we have only seen one live one in the time we've been here. Unfortunately we regularly see poor unfortunate brocks who have been caught out by the traffic.

Something we rarely see now are foxes and I have only very occasionally even heard them at night when it's quiet. Where we used to live in London they were bold as brass. I used to be out late most Thursdays and quite often as I parked up there'd be one or sometimes a group that would stop on their roaming, stand still and watch me as I went into the house. On a number of occasions I had to walk right past them to get to the gate. But that's the difference between an urban and rural area.

Just down the lane across from me there is a Badgers sett.I can see the tracks made going from the fence where they have dug a kind of mini hole to get under it leading straight to the sett.A couple of years back(I may have mentioned it) I apologise if I have.I spotted a Baby Badger just curled up on the top of the grass in the field.I got the Badger Watch people out and they checked it out and put it back at the entrance to the sett.They thought it might have been booted out by mistake and it had wandered away and got lost .Bless !! I was so worried it would be trampled by the cows.

I would love to find an Owl Pellet.What do they look like?

There are advantages in a bungalow, Jude, though it would be nice to have a bedroom upstairs, more private somehow.

Afternoon everyone:o)

Found an owl pellet yesterday and discovered a mouse skeleton in it.....we have so many mice. Also have mole hills, not seen the rat for about a week now....crumps we seem to have alot of critters!!
Heron flew over this morning, l was just coming out of nextdoors having played with the dog for 15 mins and heard the heron, amazing birds.

Just taken off some of the fruit of Physalis, (Chinese Lanterns) , wow amazing little lanterns are'nt they. Trying to think of a way to save the seeds and use the lanterns for decorations. Collected some lovely leaves too from back garden.

l'm looking after 2 budgies whilst neighbour has a well earned holiday. Budgies are both runts, not got proper wings or tails bless em, but very vocal and active.
l asked the vet about fruit to give them etc, she also mentioned seed......seed is no good if it does'nt grow!!! so l put some in water on tissue and some in soil......nothing since sunday, l will move them to the airing cupboard and see what happens then!!

Madoc seems to be ok at the moment, thank goodness. He had a check the other day and all was well. Boosters are due on 20th Nov.

Have just taken photo's of budgies will (honestly) get them on blog later, l'm all puffed out now running up and down the bloomin stairs (forgetfull, so have to keep going back down...grrr)

Take care
jude:o) x

Talking of unseasonal flowers, clearing leaves this morning I was very surprised to find a primrose in flower underneath the shrubs. Mother Nature is very confused this year.

Jane.....The buzzards that venture down off the mountain and glide over the village are frequently mobbed by the jackdaws and chased back to their own territory. They never seem to bother the red kites.

Tec.

Morning everyone.
My OH saw an owl being chased by some crows early this morning.He said the Owl was smallish and beige.It sat on the post for a while and then flew off down the lane.Loads of crows about and lots of seagulls in the fields opposite.I always think it so funny to see gulls as we are about as far from the sea as you can be.