Hobbies and Crafts

Don't want to worry you over the coming summer. When i moved into my house 47 years ago, in ignorance, I put plant-pots; kettles etc everywhere for the birds.

My hottest wall has remained un-inhabited all that time, because I was told that birds don't like hot places.

A robin is this year nesting in a plant pot, thereon. You've been warned.

Happy days

Hi
OH just noticed whilst making a cup of tea that there is a lot of Blue Tit activity in the ivy on our trellis.
I do hope they are nesting as it's visible from my kitchen window.
Take care
Von

The ducks are becoming a bit of a giggle again lately. The pair that come on the patio were absolutely entranced looking through the doors at the telly last night while we were watching the Bill Oddie programme about nature's frights and delights.

Today OH organised to come home early as he knew he would sit up all night for the election results. He said this afternoon they came and knocked at the windows with their beaks, and when he didn't move quickly enough the knocked again HARDER. Not only that but he had the same thing happen a little while later with a squirrel. Must have been watching and decided to give it a go too. Cheeky monkeys. He was too tired to even think of camera though.

My camera is always on the coffee table ready to grab.I think when I suddenly reach for it the dog gets excited and goes haring out barking his flipping head off.No wonder the birds disappear .
This morning I saw a hare just in the field alongside the lane .It was only about 20 ft away .Then it spotted us and was gone.I did wonder if it might have Myxi as it wasn't too fast.I suppose they can have the disease ,the same as the rabbits.

Jane,
I'm convinced that birds just KNOW when there is a camera about. I've got as far as focussing so many times before they fly off! The exception being puffins who are such big posers lol

Four peregrine chicks now, there's some video footage on the website including one of them being fed - they are sooooooo cute!

Dohhhhh....Jane you need a camera in every room and one in your pocket...lol

Look forward to your photo's:o)

We had 2 prs of greenfinches yesterday and a couple of starlings.

Whilst gardening the other day a robin flew in and landed about 2ft away, he kept coming back and got as near as 10" or so, l took some photo's with my mobile (always in my pocket) not very clear but you cansee what it is.
l have'nt done much on the blog lately because of the transferring of photo's but l have'nt given up. Weare away today til Mon and will get back to it next week:o)

Barbra...have you heard the noise again, we used to get owls but not heard any for ages and ages:o(


jude

I missed the most brilliant photo this afternoon.My daughter made a sign to me to look at the dog,He was looking straight up at the sky.I looked to see what he was looking at.It was a Buzzard ,really low.But as usual by the time I got the camera .............it had gone else where lol

Three fluffy chicks hatched for the Derby peregrins now.

http://195.224.106.202/peregrine/webcam.htm

At last I've started to see greater spotted woodpecker again. Two days running one's come to our peanut feeder. Tried to get a photo today but failed miserably. My zoom's not great so even if I did it might not be brilliant. We're not huge photographers so haven't rushed to upgrade our camera.

Jude I just took a pic of the two pidgeons who fornicate and poop everywhere lol.They don't half make a mess!!!.Will send you the photo tomorrow.

Daff...we don't seem to have many Starlngs either, probably 3 or 4 about, maybe more, but then we never had loads.
We have the usual at the moment,not so many chaffinches though.
My one Crow comes to the same spot for his seed everyday.

We went to Symonds Yat yesterday and saw the new pair of Pereguines, apparently they saw off the older pair and in doing so they have very badly injured the female. Presumably this was all being watched by the rspb staff cause they found the female. She's now at Newent International Centre for birds of prey, being cared for. Its possible her injuries are so bad that she'll not be let free again!! :o((

We had next doors Lab pup in this afternoon, gordon bennett they get so noisy, Madoc gives the pup what for when necessary. Had to put Madoc indoors or else he would have been completely k-nackered and would limp:o(

We also have a spider in the bathroom that looks very much like the False Widow, he only comes out at night, just hangs there under the window ledge, l've tried taking photo's but he seems to know when the bloomin camera is there......l have just taken a couple but they're abit blurred.

l have had help today in getting my mobile photo's onto the pc....yippeeee:o))

jude

Absolutely.... they are really noisy... and that always set the crows off.... but now the crows are still here, but chunter on later in the morning... much nicer!!

Love

Daff xxx

They haven't come here Daff.We have had no starlings in the garden for years!!One year there were hundreds of them living in the bushes just outside the back door.What a racket they made!!! They would all disappear in the day and at night they would suddenly return to the same bushes.They came in groups.So one lot would arrive ,and then the next lot and so on.Lots of noise until they had all settled down lol

We had two mallard in our garden yesterday.... we think that they were attracted by our granddaughter's paddling pool.... don't ask!! She insisted, and I couldn't refuse... we spent hours filling it up with warm water for her, she spent ten minutes playing in it... then we managed to get her out, lolol.... a warm spot, fortunately, and she wasn't blue... but we left the water in it to water the post edit, pots, lol and stuff.....

And for our trouble, we were visited by Mr and Mrs Mallard... they are now paddling up and down the rean at the back of our house.....

Oh, and a stoopid question... we have always had starlings close by, lots of them. They are incredibly noisy when they come in to roost, whenever a London Cardiff train goes by, when an owl hoots, or a fox screeches, or whatever. Then just before first light it all starts again... for about an hour. They wake the crows, and they get really agitated at not getting a lie-in...... A few weeks ago, all the noise from them stopped..... totally. It is so bizarre.

Does anyone know whether they sometimes just up sticks and go elsewhere to live??

Love

Daff xxx

Last night I just missed getting a photo of a pidgeon feeding its baby on the edge of our roof.(it looked a pretty big baby) lol

I also have heard screams/screech this week.I thought it was most likely foxes.It does make the hair on my neck stand up lol.I have to get up and shut any windows then stick my fingers in my ears ,until it stops.I think Badgers also scream,and as we have both around here it could be either.

Other things that can screech at night are foxes, especially when in the process of increasing their number. Quite an unearthly noise. I've heard them a couple of times this week.

Also once my Mum went outside to a weird loud screeching noise and found a hedgehog with its head stuck in a discarded yoghurt pot.. None of us had ever heard them make anything but a snuffling noise before or since so that was an eye opener.

Hi Barbra

I agree with Ann, it is probably a tawny owl.

Have a listen here
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/t/tawnyowl/index.aspx

Could it have been an owl Barbra, they screech.

The garden is full of birdsong.It's lovely.But what to do about the Cockerel next door.Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He can start up about 3am lol