Hobbies and Crafts

Years ago we worked at Sudeley Castle, and the son there had a pheasant collection which my OH had to care for. There were pheasants of all colours, the prettiest being the Golden pheasant. Alot of them were originally of Indian descent. These were kept by a lot of big houses and there have been many escapes, thats why we see some different ones about.

Jude I have a pic of long tailed tits on the coconut outside.Not sure how clear it will be ,but will send it.(I hope I didn't already send it).My memory honestly!!!!

Well I took my camera but no sign of the white pheasant this morning.I tried very hard to take a pic of a Buzzard but each time I had the camera right it had swooped away too far .
I think I have mentioned the Moorhen(coot)in the garden,well I saw 3 a little while ago,one was chasing the other 2 and they flew up onto the top of our Yew Hedge.Then they just disappeared into it.The 3rd one went up there aswell.The hedge is about 8ft thick and I'm wondering if they might be living in there.Any ideas???
The daft pheasant was disturbed by Chester this morning .I could see him sniffing along the fence where is some longer grasses and the bird shot out and actually collided with Chester before making a noisy hasty departure lol
I hope my neighbour didn't hear me screeching at the dog to LEAVE IT.

Von....Vic reminded me this morning it was this weekend and l still forgot to get the form, so thanks for another reminder:o))
Yep another year has passed and l have loved this thread:o))

Thanks Ann:o)

Lucky sparrowhawk!!

jude :o) x

Driving down a local lane this morning a sparrow hawk took off right across the front of the car, luckily it was higher than the car.

Hi
It's the RSPB great bird watch tomorrow.
You can download forms at

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/

I do believe I put the same information up on the thread last year. Can't believe a whole year has gone by but it's been a really interesting thread.
Take care
Von

Here's a link to the BBC....some loverrrly photo's of Mid Wales including Elan and Kites:o)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/in_pictures/galleries/scenes4.shtml

Agree with you there Dizzie....they are a bit dim, bless em.

Jane...look forward to any photo's:o)

Jean...l might try that, leave a plastic bottle with nuts under down the bottom and see what happens:o)) l remember watching a nature programme years ago about squirrels. Lots of obstacle courses were set up,the squirrels always won!!

Nite nite

jude :o)

The pictures of the snow and Elan are lovely Jude. The Elan ones took me back a few years.

Jane as far as I can tell pheasants were not at the front of the birdy queue for brains. Whenever something startles them they make a huge noisy fuss and flap about like nothing on earth. Earlier on in the year we were walking in an area where there were loads of them about. There were buzzards circling overhead and the fuss sounded like "Don't panic everyone, danger overhead - by the way I'm here Mr Buzzard if you were looking for lunch!" Not exactly incognito...

When we lived at a farmhouse we were plagued by squirrels at the bird feeders. We had one hung on a wire which stretched from shed to house, and OH put a collar on the shed end to stop the squirrels running along the wire and helping themselves. It didnt work, they would just jump over the collar and carry on. I n the end I cut a squash bottle and stood it out on the concrete with peanuts under it specially for the little so-and-so's. They soon learned to lift it up and get the nuts from under! I have regularly seen squirrels cross the road via the telephone cables as if they were on a high wire! Not so many about these days, though.

Hi everyone.
I have seen the white pheasant once more.Must take my camera next time I go down to the church.It must live around there.
We have had a dark brown one in the garden this last week.I think it is a pheasant.This morning when I went down the garden I must have scared it and it shot out from under the big fir tree squawking and flew over to next door.it gave me a real shock as I didn't know it was there lol

Not thinking of going at the moment Jude, were going to go last year but didn't get around to it.

DizzieLizzie....have just added your photo's, sorry l had'nt looked at that email address.
l see what you mean about the size of the baby Seagull and a very clever Robin:o))

Such is nature,they keep themselves in order a darn sight better than we humans do:o)))
Vic was going to try and mend the nut feeder but has decided to leave it for now in the hope Mr Squirrel will be satisfied as it is!! lol

Ann....are you thinking of going then:o) Might be a good idea to phone the Rangers office. It was'nt at full flow on Sunday and we have'nt had any rain since. Check this site out for info.


http://www.elanvalley.org.uk/visiting-elan/

jude;o))

Ann.....2pm until March, then 3pm

jude:o)

A white pheasant sounds interesting.

Yes Jude, I do think our swanny no mates is probably an adolescent seen off by Dad. I know Dad is a formidable force and won't brook any opposition to his rule. Just a shame this year it seems the youngster has no "bruvvas" to keep him company, but it does mean he at least doesn't behave like a hoody asbo swan like the couple we had visiting around this time last year.

Also our squirrels have knawed at the frame of the ground feeder table. Don't know why apart from keeping their teeth sharp! It's not as if the food on it is difficult to get at. It's not like our old plastic peanut feeder which they knew they could work at to get what they wanted.

What time do the birds feed Jude? at Rhayader

Evening all:o)

Ann...no l had'nt heard about the swans, amazing!!

Dizzielizzie...your swan obviously knows where his bread is buttered. Do you think it could be the youngster that was seen off by the cob?

Jane...l've not seen a whte pheasant before either! can you take a photo??

Hello Jean (Monmouth)....the farmers won't be too pleased will they...lol

Our squirrell has knawed at the nut holder and a piece of wire is broken, he can now get whole nuts out and probably 2 at a time...little monkey!! lol

Will try and find some good photo's of the Kites feeding:o)

jude:o))

Thanks Lizzie.I will have a look at the Web Site.
I keep seeing a White Pheasant.Are they unusual?It is always on it's own.

The Elan Valley is in mid Wales Jane. It has it's own website www.elanvalley.org.uk. I can recommend it.

It's colder here too and an online weather forecast says we could have snow AGAIN at the weekend. We'll see. The birds are going through the food very fast at the moment and the ducks and moorhens seem to like the food I got for them. I'm seeing the lonely swan about once a day but he still seems to have no friends yet. Also there is a cock pheasant that seems to come every morning to the ground feeder but I have a nasty feeling I may be fattening him up for someone else's table. Shan't thinka about that too much.

did everyone see about the swans at Slimbridge, there was a pair there for several years and every year they would return together from Russia. This year the male has another partner and so does the female. This, apparently is almost unheard of. Wonder what caused the 'split'?

Please excuse my ignorance,but where is the Elan Valley ?Lovely pics on the blog.