Hobbies and Crafts

Since we were away for the month we seem to have lost our goldfinches. i am hoping they will return. We have had a couple of greenfinches return otherwise it has been robins, blackbirds, sparrows, pigeons and starlings.

I put up my posh new feeder stand up yesterday, replacing the one I made with a copper pipe and a wire coat hanger.......

........not a dickie bird! :S

Had a lovely time at the local reservoirs on sunday. Lots of fluffy ducklings and geese. Nice to see a little grebe in breeding plumage for a change.
Common terns nest there too, they are one of my favourites in flight as they make such a dainty shape.
We heard and eventually spotted three song thrushes and heard,but didn't locate, a green woodpecker several times.


I can't remember if I said we heard our first cuckoo of the year on Easter Saturday at Fineshade Wood (RSPB) near Stamford. I say first of the year, I reckon it's our first in 10 years!

Robins will often make a nest on top of something. We had one a few years back made the nest on top of a bird box.

I wonder what they are Barbra .I imagine a small bird.Some years ago we had some Ring Necked Doves/Pidgeons(not sure) that made a nest on the top of our security light just along from our bedroom window.I was forever leaning out of the window to see if I could catch any action.One morning I looked out and saw 2 babies take their first flight.They perched on the edge for ages before taking the first leap.It was brilliant.I know I took some pics.But can I find them? NO lol.I got a crook in my neck waiting for them to take that first step.But it was worth it lol :D

Evening everyone:o)

Nice one too:o)
We've had the squirrel back this past week, and the fat balls are being eaten very quickly....just topped them upagain,don't usually have to do that very often!

Hello Barbara....Depends how small the bird is, as Ann says it could be a Robin, but if its bigger it could be a Blackbird....keep your camera handy and sit yourself down in a good position and watch for it to come off the nest!!!...lol...if you could snap a picci it would be good:o))

More photo's on the Bird blog, these are from Island...wowww some lovely ones too. Also some brill ones from Dutch...l think l have some more to get on from Dutch, will check later.

See yeh
jude x

Hi Everyone
I've been working in the garden today and the goldfinches have been singing their hearts out.
I think they may be nesting in my neighbours tree.
Take care
Von

More great pics on the blog.I might send you one of my Chester .He looks Chinese lol
I heard a huge thump on my window earlier .Thought I would find a dead pidgeon....but thankfully it flew off.
I have started to see the swifts /swallows down the lane.Not sure which they are.I had the camera with me but they are just too 'swift ' lol

It seems blogger is broken!
"read only from weds 11th @10pm for an hour of maintenance" (or words to that affect.
It's been a long hour!

Hi Jane,
we've had the odd couple of swifts cruising high up in the last week. They seem to do this then disappear and come back later in larger numbers. Maybe they have small advance parties to test the temperature? :-)
We saw a lone swallow in mid Wales on April 10th and two later in the week.
Swallows always remind me of times spent on Skomer Island. Swallows nest in the old farmhouse so if one is very quite and still fluffy babies can be spotted outside of the nest. When I saw my first one I felt my eyes expanding to the size of saucers :D

Edit @13.44 just in case anyone wonders what happened
Blogger Status
Friday, May 13, 2011

To get Blogger back to normal, all posts since 7:37am PDT on Weds, 5/11 have been temporarily removed. We expect everything to be back to normal soon. Sorry for the delay.

Wonder how long soon is, it is still down. Wonder if they will re-enter the pics removed, I put a load on yesterday evening.

Blogger still unavailable.

l can get on my blog now, but the last lot of photo's are'nt back yet:o((((

will try and add them after the weekend if not back....TOO BUSY NOW AS WE HAVE A PARTY TO ORGANISE...yippeeeee:o)

jude xx

Ann ... just added to yours:o) x

Just added photo's from Jean in Monmouth:o)

will add some of mine to my blog soon of birds in the garden:o)

jude

Justadded Chester:o) x

Thanks Jude.I think Chester looks a bit Chinese lol
I have noticed blue tits are nesting in a hole in the top of the dead tree trunk .I keep seeing them just disappear down into the hole.Shame it is too high for me to get any pics.
This morning when I was watering my neighbours veg and plants while they are away I found a mummified bird of prey.I think it is some kind of Hawk.I also found a dead snake on the top of the soil in the veg patch.They have a massive water butt under a big tree and the day they went on holiday they found a drowned squirrel in it.
We seem to be inundated with Wood Pidgeons at the moment.They have made a right mess with their poop at the side of the house.I think it needs a good hose down tomorrow lol.
Love Ann's stray cats.They don't look too stray now lol.They are lovely.

Hi All:o)

l'm trying to add some photo's to my blog, a couple l'm really chuffed about:o)))))

Jane...wonder why 3 different animals have died there, is the water poisened by any chance??

Jeans cats....Sweetie comes in alot now and sits on the kitchen chair, infact sometimes she takes up 2 chairs:o))
We were there yesterday and her own cat Lizzie was at the ready to give sweetie a swipe!! lol

Away now till Sunday, OH will be here though:o)
Meeting up with Dutch and Sallie and seeing my very poorly friend!!

jude x

Sugarrrr....typical it won't download, will have to try again whilst away:o))

jude x

Did'nt get to tryagainwhilst away, but have finally sorted it. Have just added photo's to my blog:o)

Loads of Saprrows at ours, 15 - 20 now, great:o)
Starlings...probably 4 - 6 of em:o)
Blackbirds about 3 prs.
Couple of chaffinches.
Couple of Dunnocks
Ooo and a Wren.
The big boys.....Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, Jackdaws and one Crow:o)
Squirrel visits alot again.

Ooooo and next door says he had an Adder, he has a photo too which l've not seenyet, will add it to my blog when l do:o)

See yeh:o)
jude x

The birds have learned to be very careful now in our garden, knowing the feral cat, Sweetie, is around. She is so quick we cant stop her. She has had 2 squirrels this week that we know of. We still hear the birdsong though.

Hi all
Jude I just think it was bad luck the squirrel got caught in the water butt,the mummified hawk look very young ,I wondered if there might have been a nest in one of the massive trees and maybe it had fallen out.As for the snake they get a lot in their garden.It looked a youngish one.

I'm off to have a look at the blog now.

today we have been to the Swannery at Abbotsbury. Taken loads of photos as there were lots of tiny cygnets just hatched. It was a wonderful sight and we really enjoyed it. when I have sorted them out I will send photos of the swans and of the animals at the childrens' animal farm that we visited yesterday. (Big children we were but we got a ticket for three attractions for less than the price of two.