Hobbies and Crafts

Since we moved here last October we have really begun to love watching the birds and other wildlife that wanders through the garden. Whoever first planted it did very well with plants that attract a wide variety. Our house is on a sloping site so there are steps down to our lounge which has huge windows out onto the patio. That then goes down more steps to the main part of the garden which has a massive weeping willow - we've put boxes in there but nothing so far. We've heard it takes quite a while for birds to use them. We didn't put them there till it was pretty much nesting time so they probably looked too suspicious at that stage. But we hope they'll use them for shelter at least and get used to them that way. Then the willow is by the river at the end of the garden so we get ducks, swans, moorhen, coots, brown trout too. Over the other side it's open farmland with a wooded border down to the river so quite a little haven though of course we hear owls and there are other birds of prey to be seen too. Over that side we see also pheasant and deer regularly - sometimes they stray over our side into the gardens. I was over the moon one day not long after we came as I looked out of the utility window to see a cock pheasant looking straight in at me. I texted all my friends back in London. They were so jealous.

And out of my kitchen window to the front there is a raised planting (as we have to go up even more steps and a slope to the front) with lilac and cotoneaster (in the spring it was full of bulbs too) so a robin and a blackbird often chat to me while I'm playing with the Aga which has been a new experience to me too.

We even saw an egret one morning right on top of one of the apple trees that overhangs the river.

When we wake up in the mornings and open the curtains we love to spend 10 minutes just looking whatever the weather. So glad we came here. And I think I'll enjoy this thread too. Only just recently started using the community boards and I know OH never has - I'll have to tell him about this one.

Welcome DizzieLizzie (we used to have someone of that name but she left, I assume you are not she? I don't envy you your steps and slopes but your garden sounds wonderful, we will look forward to9 hearing more about what you have seen in and around it. What part of the country are you in, did you say and I missed it? If so, sorry.

Jane, changed name??? Who were you before??

Not seen many birds since we came back from our break, just one goldfinch, our little robin and a few sparrows and starlings, also, although we filled the feeders before we went on Monday, they haven't eaten half of it, the starlings have eaten all the suet though.

Caz, at least you now know where you can find some birds, is it a comfortable place for you to go and sit in the winter to watch the birds?

I'm in Wiltshire. Definitely not your previous DizzieLizzie. I only started finding my way round the community pages about a week ago. Since the ID that came up for me was Elizabeth, and on other boards it was getting confusing who was who, I found out how to change it to something more recognisable.

I'm learning fairly fast but one question regarding the messages. Sometimes someone says they pm'd someone else. Anyone know what that means please? I either knew from texting or have worked out the other shorthands I've seen.

Loads of cabbage whites out there at the moment by the way.

Oh Sorry Ann.I was Helen.

Lizzie.Look at the bit that says messages .There should be an envelope showing.Click on there I have PM'd you.

Dizzie
If you click on somebody's name you can send them a message, if they send you a message you should get an e mail notifying you, then you can either click where it says on your e mail or follow Jane's advice.

Jane/Helen Oh that Jane, thanks!!!

Thanks for your help everyone. I got your pm Jane. See I'm getting it. Sorry I've taken ages replying - been out enjoying the sunshine. Got to make the best of it at the moment.

Well, I answered Ann earlier about being a comfortable place and it's not here, where's it gone? Strange.
I said Ann that no it's not, it is the laundry, two washers, two dryers, sink and spin dryer and two chairs.
Outside is a little enclosed area that the old man whose window overlooks it on the next floor up, has made it into a nice little garden. He's planted a few bushes and flowers and put a bird box up and feeders in the tree. I have a seat on my walker,( couldn't carry a chair ) and sit on it in the doorway, nice and cool and I enjoyed watching a coal tit and blue tit coming for a feed.
We have a massive garden out front but it means going down to the comunity room and the doors are at the far end, if you read about my escapade on Thursday you would understand it was too far for me to go on my own, couldn't manage it.
When we bought our house the garden was just like a big field with trees all round the edges, different sorts. I made it into different gardens by useing bushes and trees as a divider, all berry bearing, and lots of different types of buddlia. Hubby made me a pond and behind that at the very bottom I left it wild for the wildlife, loads of nettles for the butterflies. Oh I do miss it living here, but I had no choice did I.
Lets see if this goes now.
OH I meant to say DizzieLizzie, your garden sounds perfect, I would love it.

Caz

We have a lovely big garden,with lots of different birds ,plus rabbits and the squirrel.I have an awful feeling the rabbit has Myximatosis (sp).I just hope the dog doesn't get it.
I am desperate to get a good pic of the woodpecker.My camera is at the ready.

Thank you Caz, we like it a lot. The people before us just kept things as tidy as they could, and the buddleia on both sides had become very overgrown and far too tall and spindly (it was a previous owner who planned the planting and they left a very useful file on what's where so we have a chance to find out about the plants we don't recognise).

We decided this spring to rejuvenate the buddleia on one side and they're just coming into flower now. There's a really dark purple and a white one. The flower clusters are huge on these ones. We decided to leave the other side until after they've flowered so we didn't decimate everything at once and leave huge gaps everywhere. On that side there's another white and a lilac coloured one, they've just about finished flowering now and the flowers were smaller, so it seems we were right to stagger our attacks and maybe the that side will be better for it next year. After that we're probably going to take one main stem out of each bush each year to regrow from the bottom and keep it all youthful. We have another one round the side of the house where I'm trying to grow my first few veg. That one is a deepish purple and the leaves are variegated.

I also have quite a bit of lavender which the bees are loving. Heard we have to provide for them too these days. I've made a few lavender wands to scent my linen. And we just received some lovely roses among our silver wedding gifts last month to add to the other ones. All old fashioned scented ones. Got quite a bit of work still to do on the existing ones, there are some really rampant climbers in the lower garden which come all the way up and over the patio arches.

Wonder if the maggoty-old-pies will wake me up in the morning. We have a tiny bit of flat roof above our bedroom and when they hop about on it they might as well have hobnail boots on. Didn't know birds could be so heavy footed.

Sounds wonderful Dizzie.
Caz, maybe when you get to know the elderly man a bit better he will let you spend time in his little garden plot. still at least you may occasionally get a glimpse of the birds out there.

Morning everyone:o)) some new faces too:o))
Jane/Helen....you ad confused me but l think l know now:o)

Not much to report on the bird front really other than 3 buzzards were talking loudly above the garden about half hr ago, probably parents with a youngster:o)
The crow is getting more daring. Did l tell you the story about a jackdaw my cousin had???? Here it is anyways:o)

He had a jackdaw that had been injured, someone got it back to good health and ir decided the neighbourhood was a good place to stay. Welll it bacame abit of a nuisance when it thought taking all the pegs off the washing was funny!!! My cousin put it in the car and drove 50 miles away and let it go!!!! when he got back home the JACKDAW was there before him!!! lol

We still have hopalong the wood pigeon, very fat though!!

Loads of butterflies on our lilac coloured budlia....l had'nt realised until recently that there wre other colours:o))

Madoc has just got home from the kennels, he was at new ones this time and they just loved him...all our other options were booked up!! Our new neighbour with their dog 'Woolfie' have offered to have him anytime too so thats now 5 options. He gets on really well with Woolfie too:o))

Just been to Birmingham, had a fantastic time with grandson, his mum & dad and our daughter. Grandson 'M' just loves all animals, insects and creatures, flowers and tree's:o))

Tec....hows Lanto....not seen you for a while.

Have a brilliant day everyone

jude xx

When I opened No1 son's curtains this morning I'm pretty sure amongst the great tits in the lilac there was a greenfinch but it flittered back and forth so much I can't be 100%. Also OH said he saw a linnet the other day after he looked at the identification books. I've just remembered and had a look at the books this morning and discovered that they only have their brighter colouring in breeding season, most of the year they look a bit like sparrows to my very untrained eye so I'll have to see if I can spot it too.

In the winter we have a lot of greenfinches here, but now there is just the occasional odd one o9n the seed feeders.

I agree Ann, I was seeing more of the greenfinches in the winter. When I went to bed last night, in the quiet I heard a lot of calls from an owl very loudly so presumably quite close. Sadly when I heard in the distance a reply call it moved further away. But it was a lovely treat to go to sleep by.

DizzieLizzie we have a couple of owls every night right on top of us. One perches on the roof above our windows, and the other one a short way away. We love to listen to them and our Cockatiel has started to answer them back, he seems to wait for them every night.
Ann the gardens are communal so we can go anywhere we like, even plant things if we want as long as it fits in with surrounding plants. I wouldn't like to sit down there for long as it is surrounded by our three story building on one side and the gable end of a massive house facing us then two smaller walls. It's alright while doing our washing but not to sit out in.
At the moment we have masses of butterflies around, cabbage whites but I have seen a few coloured ones.

Caz xx

Edited to say where has Tec got to, is he on holiday?

Hello everyone:o))

My OH hears an owl, l have done but not ages. We had 3 buzzards flying around the other day, again l missed them:o((

A few weeks ago we put a picture of a bird on our patio doors/window, one of those sticky ones. We've had so many birds flying into the windows hurting themselves and one blackbird sadly died. But the inside picture was black and the ourside was showing a Sparrow Hawk.....welll after a few days we realised we were'nt getting many birds in the garden, just the doves,jackdaws a couple of sparrows and a robin.....so we have turned the picture round and guess what????....yep the birds are back.....well l would'nt have thought they could see it from the bottom of the garden!!

Not seen the woodpeckers for ages, nor the nuthatch, thrush or as many blackbirds....maybe the picture put them off too.

l do still have photos to put on my blog and l will get it sorted, but not had alot of time recently due to my cousin being so ill and l'm still sorting the software out.

Do hope Tec is ok, l know his wife has been poorly, hope she's is ok too.
Take care everyone:o)
jude :o)

Hi Everyone

I have been away for a while , and have just been catching up on the many interesting posts on the thread. It is great to see old friends on here, and some new ones too - so hello to anyone I've not spoken to before.

A neighbour kindly fed the birds in my absence - the usual visitors are still around - sparrows, chaffinches, bluetits, robin, blackbirds, greenfinches, and of coarse the jackdaws in abundance.

The buzzards and red kites are still not around - but they usually disappear at this time of year when the area is busy with tourists. I think they go further into the mountains until things quieten down. I did spot a heron stealing from a neighbours garden pond this morning.

Jude......Ianto is in a state at the moment - he has a haematoma? in his ear that has to be drained by the vet weekly. If it is no better next week he will have to have surgery. Also there is a noticeable deterioration in his eyesight lately that is causing him problems, and upsets me too.
I suppose things like this must be expected as he gets older - he is such a faithful loyal fun loving dog, and anything that can be done for him will be done - he stays very close to me now that he's not seeing as well.

Regards
Tec

Tec, hope you had a good break, sorry to her about lanto, hope he doesn't have to have an op.

I've been reminded of our dear ol Moz. He was mum-in-law's dog and we inherited him when she passed away. He was already 16 when we took him on so we only had him for 18 months ourselves (just about made it past his 18th birthday) but of course we'd known him most of his life - he was a rescue dog that they got when he was about 3. He was half border collie and half bassett and was generally a comedy dog. He looked funny and he made so many people smile when we took him for walks because he seemed to always have a big grin on his face, except when he wanted something when he'd do pleading eyes. Poor old thing passed away about 2 weeks before we moved here. He became ill only a few weeks before we moved and we do miss him. He would have loved it here back in the countryside - OH's mum and dad had had a farm in Devon before they retired to Sussex.

It's a possibility we'll look after another elderly dog next year for 6 months whilst my daughter's friend goes travelling. Only thing is I just heard on Wednesday that I got a part time job that I went for so we'll have to have a rethink as to how feasible that is. I'll have an idea once I know how my hours work out. But she's thought plenty of time in advance so we have time to see if we can work it out or if she needs to ask her othe alternative.

Tec I hope your Ianto improves soon.

We did have both green woodpeckers coming to the lawn and great spotted woodpeckers coming to the feeders and I haven't seen either for a while. The owls are still being very clear each evening though.