Hobbies and Crafts

Mandarin ducks are such pretty things! We have had a couple of wood pigeons this week, first since we can remember in this garden. Well fedthey look too, but they have been feeding all winter on the crop of the farm next door!

We've had a pair of mandarin ducks visit our garden a couple of times this week. We knew they were on the river but they tended to stay near a particular bend a little way away. Previously we've only very occasionally seen one on the water, but it was good to see the pair half-way up the garden. I think the mallards told them about the ground feeder table and duck pellets we put out. The second time it was at dusk and they looked like they were going to settle down for the night along with a couple of mallard drakes. Hope we see them more often in future to replace the swans that seem to have been rustled by the lady by the bridge.

Had a bit of an experience yesterday. Driving along the M4 when suddenly I saw a hen pheasant face in front of me. Because of the speed the poor thing didn't stand a chance. Left me shaky for quite a while. Such a thud I thought it must have dented the car but thankfully not. (a while back OH had a similar thing with a stray chicken which suddenly decided to flap out in front of him and damaged the front of his car quite badly!). OH had been wanting me to put the top down because it was a sunny day, so glad I decided it would have been too cold for that on the motorway. We did have to do quite a clean up job when we got home.

Ann in Glos... that is because they must be the biggest and fattest well fed pigeons I have ever seen in my life... I don't think I would be able to pick them up, either, lolol

I have popped in to tell you of my experience a couple of days ago.....

I was sitting here at my pc.... as you do, when there was a massive thud, and it felt like the conservatory was going to collapse... I legged it into the living room... and then realised that there was a massive bood, collapsed on my glass roof....... I thought it was dead... anyway, then it moved, and turned it's head... I realised it was a raptor... it was trying to get up, but it was stunned, plus it's claws were slipping on the glass... I ran to get my phone and my camera... but by the time I had done that, it had managed to take off... it was in the tall Ash tree at the back of us, where it stayed for about 10 minutes before flying off.. I was talking to our neighbour yesterday.... the nice one, lol... and he was telling me that lees than 2 miles away, as the crow flies, is the Transporter bridge... and there have been peregrine falcons nesting there for about 10 years....

I described the bird to him... he did Zoology for his degree... and he thinks that the poor raptor with a headache is probably one of those..... which would also coincide with the fact that a few weeks ago, during that very cold snap, I saw one swoop down after a collared dove.... it just brought up short from the roof, and flew off into the distance... I am certain it was the same type of bird...

He is going to keep an eye open, as he is interested in the birds, and belongs to the RSPB... he said he counted the birds in my garden for birdwatch this year, as he had none in his own, lolol

Plus.... this morning, the little wren chased the robin away from the seed container, lol.... that was very funny!

Love

Daff xxxx

Going back a couple of days - yes Ann we are so lucky to see some of the birds and wildlife we see here. I had been lucky enough to see a kingfisher once before we moved here, and even here where we have a fairly quiet point on the river at the bottom of the garden it's only occasional. I had never seen a goldcrest,egret, green woodpecker or yellowhammer (only seen the last on local walks, not in the garden) before we came here - I had to look them up the first time. But it is such a treat when we do see them. The goldfinches are still playing hard to get too. They give us moments of hope that we'll see them more regularly and then don't return for a while. But it does make it special when we do see any of them and keeps us looking out for any new visitors.

I have been wondering Jane - I'm pacing the floor awaiting results.

Many years ago a friend conned me into taking in his pair of caged :-( parakeets because his mother wouldn't give them house room. By dawn I knew exactly why! Never mind 'ring necked', I was sorely tempted! They had to go. I don't know where they went but assume this is why these exotic birds are now naturalised in parts of the UK.

Von...would love to have seen that:o)

Ann....one would think so??

jude

Hi All
The parakeets were visiting the large tree in the school grounds next to my garden today.
I do hope that they were not "househunting" as they are so noisy .
Take care
Von

I suppose a buzzard could take a wood pigeon. But are they sure it was a wood pigeon, I assume they know the difference between a pigeon and a collard dove?

Another photo on the blog:o)

Vic did'nt take any today on his walk, it was raining and miserable:o((

jude

Ann....we are having a dispute about this, another neighbour saw the same thing and her son is pretty sure it was a Buzzard, which is what we think!!

jude

goodness, the wood pigeons we get in our garden are bigger than a female sparrow hawk.

Could Mrs Duck be sitting on eggs Lizzie, or is it too early ?

The past week or so it's only been drakes coming to remind me it's brekkie time. And there've usually been 4 of them - 2 bold and 2 who look all brave and then turn tail as soon as I open the patio doors. The bold 2 laugh at them being bothered about me and Buster and so they get most of what I put out. But I don't know where Mrs Duck is lately.

My neighbour has been over to water her plants....she is borrowing my greenhouse:o) and told me about a sparrow hawk and a woodpigeon ......she watched the hawk catch it and devour it on her neighbours lawn...the usual, she did'nt have her camera handy!!

Island...yes the same here, we can usually get quite close to the puffed up ones!

jude

Good morning

Are you all feeling uplifted by the milder weather finally returning? I know I am, I just don't do well with cold, dark and damp and it went on too long this time.
We had our first birding trip of the year a couple of weekends ago to the local reservoirs, blimey it was cold! I did a count of 23, the usual 'suspects' but it's just nice to be out and seeing them. As you will imagine, this is a good place for kingfishers with two favourite spots and we were lucky - well that's if quick electric blue and orange flashes count!

My best kingfisher sighting was at Rye Meads. We were in a hide overlooking a quite stretch of water when someone noticed a kingfisher sitting on a post. It was there for ages, only flying as far as the next post and back, we had a wonderful view through bins but at the time none of us had a camera which was up to par for a decent photo. I must go there again.

Our lone bluetit has started to bring a friend to the feeder this week. We have also noticed them flitting to and forth to the same spot in one tree so I'm sure they are nest building. I think it is house hunting season so that is most likely why they seem to be absent right now. We usually get increased activity on the feeders when they are feeding young as we are handy for a quick snack for the adults.

Jude, I spotted a puffed up wood pigeon recently. To be honest, I thought it was on it's last legs as I was able to get to about 4 feet from it but as soon as I lifted the camera for a snap it was off! I think it was just catching a few zeds!

Morning all:o)

The only time l have seen a gold crest was at Pulborough RSPB years ago and it was right at the gate entrance as you walk towards the main door, so much activity going on, the last place l expected to one.
Kingfishers are often see flying about if you stand on the Monmouth bridge (over the Wye), l've seen one twice there now and also at Slimbridge right at the bottom where they have the mud banks all set up for them:o))

Vic saw approx 50 Swifts or ? this morning on his doggie walk.

He's now on a ramble the other side of the river Wye, hopefully more photo's to come:o)

We have a number of birds that sit all huddled and fluffed up on the wall, yesterday it was a dove, this morning a chaffinch, they don't move about as much and then suddenly have a feed then fluff up again, wonder why??
l love the discription Ping Pong Balls :o))
see yeh

jude

Our little Robins are doing the sexy bit on the lawn ...swaying heads and bottoms in the air lol They are so funny.

We've noticed this too Jean....l think they have gone to build nests:o))