Hobbies and Crafts

Dizzielizzie....l would just love to see the ducks waddling up your garden path.

Ann...for some reason we don't have much going on this morning apart from the doves and the odd sparrow or it might have been a dunnock, don't think the magpies are here yet.

Its the Monmouth Show today, bet the town will be packed and chaos on the roads. Vic said the contestants were all arriving early when out with Madoc. We'll not be going as we have been loads of times and its so expensive to get in, l heard a neighbour saying it was £15 each, but don't know for sure!!!!

jude:o)

After yesterdays rain ,the birds suddenly appeared and were gobbling up the worms lol........then PUFF they all seem to have disappeared again.Our Robins and Woodpidgeons seem to be the ones that are always about.
I don't think I know what a Dunnock looks like ,so had better find out just incase we have them.

Jane....have you found the dunnock?? they have little red legs about the size of a sparrow but rounder:o)))

More birds are appearing as the day goes by, l actually saw a male blackbird on the fence, ALSO an owls pellet, l opened it up and found tiny little bones and bird seed:o))) Poor mouse:o((

jude

Jude I am pretty sure we don't have dunnocks,not in this garden anyway.
Had to chuckle at the thought of you investigating the owl pellet lol

Well, we had loads of starlings back, one blue tit and one great tit, that was early before we went out at 09.45

I haven't been on here for a while but will answer Tecs question first. My little bird settled in well before us two, he just seemed to accept if his mum and dad were here it was home. He is learning all the best landing places and has found his safe spots.

I am also wondering where all the birds have gone, all but the crows in the end went, then a couple of days ago the collared doves arrived back, loads of them. Next day the wood pigeons came back and the magpies, hubby came in last night and said there were a lot of sparrows in the car park. I have heard the song thrush and blue tits again but not seen them yet, they are in the trees in the visitors car park facing our windows, the trees are so dense though I can't see anything in them.
I'm glad they are back, it's eerie without birdsong.

Caz

Do we know where they all disappeared to?It's quite weird.Maybe they packed their little bags and had a holiday lol

Jude - my OH would be just as curious as you if he found an owl pellet.

I heard my little greenfinch start up earlier this morning, but he stopped suddenly when it started to rain. It was so beautifully sunny this morning I had hopes of a day in the garden, but no. It's teeming down now and looks like it's not about to stop very soon.

Weird isn't it? I counted 10 sparrows this morning on the feeders and we have got the pigeons and doves back as well, oh yes and there was a dunnock in the garden this morning too.

Hi Everyone,
In the last two days, I have seen both a buzzard, and a red kite, so they must be returning to old haunts.
The heron seems to have disappeared, so maybe he has emptied the neighbours pond of goldfish. He normally hangs around where the river flows off the mountain onto the pebble beach, and forms a sort of pond before filtering into the sea. The fish get trapped there, so he has fish delivered as it were. We had starlings nesting on the house again this year, they raised two broods, but have all disappeared now.
Still rather quiet in the garden - a few sparrows, chaffinches, a robin, one solitary blue tit, and the doves.
The swallows are still around, and it saddens me when they go, because I know that winter is looming - what a thought.
I continue to read everyones posts with interest - it is so good to see people noticing and commenting on normal, natural things, as against the hum bug we are bombarded with in the press and on tele.

Regards
Tec.

Actually Tec, you remind me we haven't seen our heron round here for ages, but their are sandpits not far away so maybe he's summering there. Although it's primarily an industrial site it's quite a nature haven.

Still seeing the geese every evening. Just as it's getting dusk a great squadron fly over in formation. Last night as I heard the first sounds of them I heard our neighbour call his wife telling her they were on their way over.

Once they've gone over it reminds us to listen out for the owls.

My son's not going to be quite so enamoured of the noisy greenfinch. He started being a regular in the bush outside his bedroom just after he went away for two weeks. Son came back last night and I can hear my little chap tweeting away for all he's worth right by his window now.

Earlier I had a little robin looking in at me as I was enjoying my first morning cuppa. Ah well, better put the kettle back on and see if I can rescue the rudely awakened son/greenfinch situation.

Hi all, just had a pleasant hour in the garden, and because I am looking after my daughters Spaniel, I didn't think I would see much activity with her around. But the sparrows kept coming for food,also the goldfinches, and then I heard the sound of a baby greenfinch. It had landed on the path and was happily munching away on spilt sunflower hearts. I tiptoed with my camera and snapped him ! Only managed one photo before he flew away. I will send it to Jude....to see if it is of interest

Maggie

We had a good day in the garden too yesterday, but I must get better at having a camera to hand. I get so engrossed in watching something going on that I forget a picture might be nice.

We're off to the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley today to see where some of OH's predecessors lived. Looks to have started out a bright day and maybe we'll be lucky to see some different wildlife around too.

Wishing everyone a good Bank Holiday weekend. Remember, those of you who have a salary, that you're being paid to relax for once. Yay!

Where in the Forest do the ancestors come from Dizzy?

Ann
Glos

We visited Coleford, Berry Hill (where my FIL was evacuated to with his mother in the war - he remembers visiting a house called Top Lonk and we found The Lonk), Newland, Speech House (where one of his ancestors was killed by a stone falling on his head), Ruardean and Hope Mansell, all places where OH's families had connections.

And of course we had to have a visit to Symond's Yat. When we were up there we were up at the height of a couple of buzzards coasting over the valley.

We also went to a place called The Pludds where there seemed to be more sheep than people. Some places seemed very remote and looked like they could be quite cut off in the winter. Also of course being in the forest there were lots of chimneys smoking with the smell of wood burners.

We had a lovely day although the weather was dull and I slept well after taxiing him around all day. He has a few more memories and pictures to bring his tree to life now. He's pleased to discover it's only about an hour and a half away too.

I saw a huge heron flying along the river this morning after having said I hadn't seen one for a while. Hope it becomes more regular again. We've got cows again in the field the other side of the river too and I've also been hearing, but not seeing, pheasant more regularly again the past few days.

Dizzy,
They do get more snow in the Forest in the winter than we do here in the Severn valley but rarely these days are they cut off. A lot of those little places are very insular, when we lived in Lydney on the edge of the Forest, and I worked with Foresters (70s), you daren't speak about anyone as somebody would inevitable say 'oh that is my - aunty/uncle/cousin. cousin once removed' etc. They say that even if you live there for 25 years you will still be regarded as a 'foreigner'.
Beautiful area though.
Ann
Glos

Good afternoon everyone:o))
We're back from our stay in Derbyshire with my lovely friend who has alzheimers.....good time was had by al:o))

Dizzielizzie....you almost past my doorstep then:o)) my nephew lives nr Mitcheldean and l worked at the college in forest:o)

Not had a chance to see what birds are about yet, vic has fed them and now gone to get Madoc, he could'nt wait any longer. There was a dog where we stayed but not the same as having mad Madoc around!!

Tec...Tis good to read posts on here, much better than the newspapers. How is Yanto? Pleased to see you have seen the red kite and buzzard. Whilst we were travelling around Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshre (l've been everywhere man, l've been everywhere...sing along:o))) lol) we saw a number of Kestrals, Vic was very pleased to see them as we don't seem to have them here, there were loads in Sussex.

l have a number of emails with attachments so will check them out soon, thanks everyone:o)

One of the places we visited was East something....doww forgotten now...lol its where the Lancaster is on display and taxes along the runway twice a day....oh my gawd it had me and vic crying, beautiful sight:o)))

jude:o)

PS edit....20.25pm...East Kirkby:o))

We seem to have a number of wrens in the garden at the moment.But as they are so tiny I nearly miss spotting them lol

Lol Ann. OH says that them cousins once removed b'ain't so far removed as you'd expect when you look on his tree. And I remember FIL saying that though he had family ties that way he and his mum were never accepted in the same way as the "natives" were.

And Jude I've looked on the map and by jingo so we did. As both of you say the forest is a beautiful area. It's only an hour and a half away so we'll be able to have an occasional drive that way again sometime.