Hobbies and Crafts

For Deanna.

We have a similar problem with the water bowl on our feeder station. The pigeons use it as a perch and always seem to head straight for it when OH has just changed the water.

We seem to have LOT'S of Robins around .Some look very young and some look a bit ragged.I think the ragged looking ones are the poor females who have been got at ,over and over again lol
The pidgeons love the bird bath here ,but they are dirty devils and poo in it all the time !!!

This afternoon I was sitting having a cup of tea in the conservatory with the doors open. A little wren was hopping around just outside the door totally ignoring me, then Mrs Blackbird decided to build a nest in the pyracanthus also just outside the door.

then this evening there was a bird in our water feature and we haven't a clue what it was. It was larger than a wren and a bit smaller than a sparrow, and thinner, light chest and dark markings on its wings. It 'skittered' along the ground and disappeared before we got a really good look. Any ideas?

They obviously think there's going to be a water shortage this year and know that sharing your bath saves water...

They do go dippy this time of year don't they. Blackbirds have been chasing each other all over the garden this evening. But the funniest sight today was the wood pigeon having a bath in the bird bath. It is not that big and he is huge so he stood up and sort of flicked the water at himself, then the smaller - I assume female- wood pigeon was trying to get in with him!

Yesterday evening, two little chaffinches were so busy flirting that they didnt see our dining room window and smashed into it. We rushed out and on first look they seemed goners, but we put them in a cardboard box base with some water and seed, and left them in OH's shed where they could be quiet. Within an hour the pair were ready to fly again, though the female was not anxious to leave the shed. Took some persuading!

Today ,I have seen a Swan flying overhead,and down the lane where i take Chester for his walk the Swifts/Swallows (I'm not sure which) are swooping low down .Too quick for me to get a photo lol

Just come in for a walk and on one of the local ponds saw ducklings for the first time this year. So cute - every so often in between paddling along they scooted off running on top of the water like little motorbikes doing wheelies.

Dizzie
Pleased your daughter has arrived safely. It's always worrying when they go away but I'm sure she'll have a fantastic time.

There are lots of birds singing their hearts out in the garden this morning but I'm ashamed to say apart from the robin I can't recognise any of them . You can't see them either.
Take care
Von

They've arrived safely, are boiling in the heat and looking forward to their first exploration.

Now I can settle back down to watching and looking after my dicky birds properly again.

Yes they may as well fly the outward passengers so as not to lose more money.

She took off about half an hour ago. No problems checking in, no queue according to OH so hopefully the next 6 months will be incident free and they can just have a fantastic time.

Had a greenfinch on the feeder again yesterday. Few and far between but at least there's still evidence of them. Don't know what numbers will be like after disease last year and a hard winter. But maybe the hard winter will have killed off any remaining bugs for those that remain.

Hope they get away today Dizzie, it stands to reason that aircraft will be flown out to bring people home so there will be people flying out as well as in.

Good luck to your daughter DizzieLizzie:o)

jude

We think it was pretty much like that the time they all got out last year Ann. Bit like an Aardman animation.

Our two may get away at last on their big bird today. I know getting stranded people home is firts priority , but they've worked and saved so hard for this. If they don't get out soon it will start to cut into other transport arrangements they have booked. If they do get away today they'll have been lucky it didn't affect their plans further, but then since they're going for 6 months they have had that bit of flexibility other people haven't.

Dizzie, Lol Lol just had a vision of a circle of chickens, heads together forming an escape committee.

Evening:o)

Island........not got any plans as yet. Thanks for lovely discription of who was where etc:o) Do you help up there then? Is this part of the voluntary work you do? l can imagine the daffs were glorious...not like mine here!!

DizzieLizzie....bless that chicken, she had a lucky escape then.

We have loads of bee's and wasps, definately more than usual.
A pr of sparrows we think are nesting in the eaves of the garage, the back garden bit. l thought they gave up cause we are in and out all the time and Madoc bless him sits right underneath almost, sunning himself.
He had a quick check up at the vets this afternoon and l WALKED HIM ALL THE WAY THERE....not often l walk him, he's a pain when other dogs appear, but he was very good for me today:o). When l get there l have to make sure no other dogs are about. One of the vets has a dog who sits in the reception area and they GOT ON BRILL.........dogs ah, worse than kids:o)

jude

By all accounts the famous swimming chicken is fine again now but the neighbours said they were worried at first because she sat shivering with her eyes closed for ages. She has to have made a bit of an effort to get out of their run and then they have a fence by the river as they have a toddler too. I remember last summer their chickens formed a break out party too. Wonder if they get a bit frisky as the weather warms up? Within a couple of days of each other last summer I had one looking at me from the steps outside our office window at the front of the house and then when I was driving out somewhere I saw another in the hedgerow opposite the front of the house. They hadn't had them long then and they substantially improved their run's boundary which seemed to do the job at the time. I haven't seen or heard of any other escapee plans this time.

Hi Birders

Jude,
Yes, we were at Gigrin. The weather was lovely. We topped up the feeders in the garden and soon had blue tits, great tits, chaffinchs and a robin on them. The peacock and his hens came strutting along too and with a little jump could reach the low down bags of peanuts which was amusing. The obligatory squirrel showed up of course!

On the feeding field were the usual suspects - rooks, ravens, jackdaws, buzzards and of course, red kites. The black kite hadn't been seen for a month but the white kite was swooping in.

Max was his usual delightful self.

Fab sunsets cast on the hillside.

Any plans to go again yourself soon?

Oh,and the road side daffs were glorious!

Poor chicken Dizzie, perhaps she fell in, hope she is OK now. No sign at the moment of airports reopening, hope they do soon.