Hobbies and Crafts

Photo's on the blog now:o))

jude :o)

PS....Jane, we get a wren occassionally, or should l say we see one occassionally, they are so quick are'nt they, so dinky though:o)

Hello Everyone,
Jude.....You certainly do get around . It's interesting that when you go to a different part of the country, you often see birds that you never see in your own locality. I saw kestrals in Shropshire recently, and a pair of redpolls in my daughters garden there, where they are apparently quite common.
I would have loved to have seen the Lancaster on the runway. We often get Hercules flying low and slow over the village, wonderful sight. No idea where they're from, or where they go to.
Ianto is fine thanks. He seems to have recovered from his ear trouble, but is not hearing very well, and has gone very short sighted. He sticks very close to me now - I'm not allowed out of sight.

I had to laugh about the comments of living somewhere for years and still being regarded as a newcomer. I have lived in this village for 15 years, and am still an incomer, or "Blow Ins" as they say here. It can be very windy here, so can only assume they think we were blown in on the wind. And yes - everyone is related to everyone else, so you must be careful.
However, most are friendly, and it's a wonderful place for wildlife.

Regards to all
Tec.

Morning all

We get Hercules over here too Tec. In and out of RAF Lyneham. Some of them are bringing casualties and fatalities from Afghanistan unfortunately, the ones you see on TV News going through Wootton Bassett nearby. Makes you think - I have a friend who's son is there at the moment. He's a Fusilier and was sent out very soon after he completed his training.

Earlier in the year when the raised bed at the front of the house was more bare I saw a wren from time to time, but I haven't seen any lately.

We're off to Cornwall next week so we'll have to see what we get to spot there.

Morning all:o)

Just a quickie, will try and get some pics on the blog sometime of Lancaster:o)

jude:o)

The only bird on my lawn this morning was the woodpecker.It looks fully grown now.I still didn't get a photo.It was having a real feast with its beak buried right to the hilt.Next door have lots of coots pottering around,and i think they are after the chicken feed lol

I hope we get to see our woodpeckers again soon. Not seen them for ages.

Back again:o)

We have'nt seen ours either, l heard a green woodie yesterday though:o)

l spose the birds flit between the gardens and some area's depending on what is on offer, various plants/fruits etc and the fact the someone has a certain plant means they may have different insects aswell!

Give Yanto a hug from me, bless him:o))

Madoc was so pleased to see us yesterday, but when we got home the dog sitter was still there, she thought we were coming back today. She stood in the kitchen talking to us and Madoc sat on her feet, bless him, so he loves us all:o))
Next door seem to be leaving there dog alot, must tell them he can come in here with Madoc.

jude:o)

The buddleias on one side had finished flowering so yesterday we cut them right back to rejuvenate them for next year. One of them is white and hopefully it should come back a better shape so that we can see the flowers better on our side. Aside from the butterflies the neighbours had all the benefit of that one this year. The other side still has flowers as it started later. We had cut that back early spring, so we're hoping if we deal with them at different times of the year we can extend the time we have flowers on one side or the other every year. Now we've got space to get in and finally dead head the lilac properly too. But we'll leave that to after our holiday now.

Still not seen Bellblair, will have to email her. Hope all is well!!

just off now to update the blog.

We had a chaffinch on the femce half hr ago and a male blackbird forraging on the ground in the grasses and a dunnock.

Jane did you find a pic of a dunnock??

jude

Thought I would add to this as we are lucky enough to have lots of different birds, including a Little Owl that lives in our gable end and dive bombs our cats when she has young in the nest.The baby owl is so cute and sits on the lower back roof watching us in the kitchen.
We do have a wren living along the back wall as the house wall is made up of dirt and huge stones so lots of nooks for nests. We have lots of buzzards, woodpeckers, hoopoo , barn owls , plus the usual about and we seem to havea bumper crop of sloes and other hedgerow berries so hoping its not a sign of a harsh winter.
This summer , our baby owl decided to explore our loft space and wandered into the air con tube, we ended up blocking the vent up and suffered the heat to stop it from being harmed as every time we tried to get it , the owl went back out then waited an hour then went exploring again :))

Sorry,my post was repeated

x Jill

Hello Jill, how nice to hear from other countries:o)) The baby owl must have been chilly, hope he does'nt get hurt. Just going to look up a Hoopoo!!

Some more pics on blog now:o)

jude

Jill, I envy you your owls.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2685930350098409183NXgWDS

Go to the above website to see a Hoopoo, l had heard the name but could'nt think what they looked like, l recognise it now, gorgeaous looking bird, long beak and a crest :o)

l keep looking for another Owls pellet, that was fascinating to open it up, it was'nt messy infact very dry:o)

jude

Hi Everyone........

The robin and the wren are going about together again, as they did last winter. They must be the same birds. This curious partnership fascinates me, but I've seen it before, when I lived elsewhere. I would be interested to know if anyone else has ever seen this.

Your owls sound like fun Jill, and how wonderful to have Hoopoo's, I've never seen one, except pictures. I've noticed the Rowan trees (Mountain Ash) are loaded with berries this year, as is the New Zealand palm I have in my garden. I too wonder if we are in for a harsh winter - hope not.

I also find owl pellets in my front garden Jude. We hear owls around regularly, one definately has laryngitis, sounds very painful. We had a pair of doves mating today - in September? - very odd. A few chaffinches, lots of sparrows, the robin and the wren I mentioned, and a pair of greenfinches.
Ianto is curled up on the sofa beside me, he is not playing today as it's cold and grey. He is ok now, but has definately aged suddenly. Never mind, we will grow old and hapless together.

I was interested DizzieLizzie to know that you see Hercules in your area. I love to see "proper" aircraft, as against the dreadfully noisy things the RAF play war games over our heads on a daily basis. They fly Hawk trainers out of RAF Valley, and recently the Eurofighter, the Typhoon. My BiL was a technician on the Vulcans, and was in Cyprus for years.
This of course has nothing to do with birds - except that they do fly don't they? Maybe you would like to come and do some hacking at shrubs in my garden when you've finished yours - not likely she says.

Regards to all,
Tec.

Just thought I would say that since moving to France, I have seen a cuckcoo and not just heard one :))
While I am sat here a peacock on a neighbours farm is making a racket in the distance, glad they dont live nearer !!
Reading back about the butterflies, we had the most ever this year and was lovely walking through a cloud of them when brushing past the shrubs. We have lots of the little humming bird like moths and they are lovely to watch as they hover over the lavendar bushes.
Our Little owl is a daytime bird and it tends to swoop low when it flies and the pair will sit in the trees calling to each other. John wants to finish pointing the back of the house but we will have to leave some of the holes for the birds :)

x Jill

Tec, big birds they are!!

Our birds seem to have done a disappearing act again, wonder where they go, wonder if it is when somebody is harvesting nearby or something?

Now Ann you might just have hit the nail on the head there. Before we moved here our garden bordered a field, we never seemed to 'lose' our birds and they loved sitting on long grasses eating the seeds, we left the bottom of the garden wild for them. I wonder now if all the birds were in fields taking advantage of the grass seeds before the farmer cut it for hay?
A favourite late summer evening was spent watching the farmer cut his field, large flocks of swifts and swallows (I think) followed the tractor for the insects thrown up by the blades. Later in the evening it was time to stand and watch the bats flying round the garden. Oh memories. Nothing like that here.

Caz x

Hi Everyone,
LOng time on chat we have had a lot of birds all summer long and they have been feeding all the time. I am now going to go back and read all this thread from where I left it. Its good to be back again.

Bellblair, so good to see you back.

YCaz, but you do have those memories which is good. Hope you are feeling less pain these days

Ann x