Hobbies and Crafts

Hello Jean:o))) lovely to see you on here:o))

Has anyone identified the bird on the blog from Jane??

The same here, they are ravenous. Vics cleared another the paths again. He watched a blackbird just now trying to get a drink from a dish that slipped over, so he's just gone out and put it straight and made sure they are'nt frozen.

Madoc is just as mad this morning, we had a play session under the duvet, although l have t be abit careful cause of his leg, but generally he's on his back makng the most awful noises and trying to grab me:o))

jude:o)

Hello all, I'm still feeding my garden visitors Christmas cake, they're looking quite obese...have a job to take off soon!

Regards to you all.

Pam.☺

Hi Jude, comparing it with our fieldfare it is a bit darker but comparing it to the photo of a redwing I sent you but not on the blog it doesn't seem to have the stripe across its head. I think it is a fieldfare.

Ooops its on the blog now Ann....sorry:o))

jude :o)

Hi Everyone,

I'm here again. Thanks for your concern but it boiled down to being busy up to Christmas and then our computer dying over the holiday period. The night before OH had said he'd do a major backup "tomorrow", but I think the hard drive heard him and said "just you try it sunshine". Of course huge frustration and a major lesson learned about keeping up with backups. But we have our new all singing all dancing laptop now so we're getting back to rights bit by bit.

We've been keeping up with ensuring the birds are fed and that reminds me, whilst I was taking out some more mealworms this afternoon I forgot to get the coconut shell in to do another fat treat. My special recipe including porridge oats to help bind it. We had a ram roast in the garden in the summer for our silver wedding and there was a huge bucket of dripping from which we still have a small amount left. Don't get much wasted round here.

We've had loads of birds visiting the feeders and are getting more and more pheasants coming up to the back door to knock like the ducks do. But they run away as soon as we go near and flap about making lots of noise - they haven't learned to be brave yet but normally when they see the likes of us something goes bang loudly so you can't blame them. I had a cock pheasant with two hens in the garden on Sunday and I heard a couple of shots in the morning that sounded like they could have come from the farm the other side of the river. Unusually the birds didn't fuss but must have known they could thumb their noses at that one. Someone had a good lunch though...

Just seeing if the birds like vine leaves. Had some dolmades left over so I cut them up for the rice inside.

Had a pretty big snowfall again today but the weather really doesn't know what it wants to do now. It keeps stopping and starting and sometimes has been quite heavy and big flakes, but in between it has also been doing its best to have more of a thaw too. The sky still looks very full to me so we'll see what comes.

When I was out taking my son to work this afternoon I saw some moorhens crossing the road and on Sunday when we were out walking we saw them sliding across the frozen Kennet and Avon Canal so it's been hard for them. Our river is quite fast flowing so it's better for the ones round here. I hadn't seen the swans for ages, but I saw the cob and pen with one cygnet go past today, but I was too slow to go and feed them. It's a longer way down the garden at this time of the year with having to take care on the steps etc. I have been down since and put out some bread at the bottom of the garden and some fresh seed on the low table feeder. Nearer the house there are some thawed patches, especially under the garden furniture so I've put some extra bits under there for the ground feeders, though I've seen some of them having a go at the hanging feeders when nothing else was around to disturb them.

My 3 cats and the neighbour's one seem to be no problem to the birds right now since all they want to do is whizz out for a comfort call and straight back in by the aga or into the airing cupboard again. Two of mine and the neighbour's one are around 13. My other one whose age we don't know, but seems younger is large and fairly lazy anyway ever since he came in from quite a hard life as a stray and he's got used to the fact that we really are going to keep him well fed too.

It's just getting dark now and I've had one last robin having a little chat to me through the window before he turns in.

Well now I'd better think about feeding people, but it's been good to catch up with all your posts since I was last on here. Happy new year to you all and hoping it's proves to be a good one all round.

Lizzie

Welcome back Lizzie, so good to see you on here, we have missed all your wildlife news.

Oh my gawd a marathon update.....will read it later. Have pm'd you with blog. Great to see you back.

Can l ask .....? what laptop did you get?

jude :o)

Seen your pm Jude thanks. Our new laptop is HPG61-110SA. It was on offer in a major computer chain - Le monde de PC! Got all the buttons and functions including the slimline salad dressing - and it goes up to 11 and everything. I'm even getting used to the mouse pad instead of having a separate mouse. Whenever I've borrowed OH's work one or one of my kids' laptops I've hated the mousepad, but I suppose it's just a matter of getting used to things.

Lovely to see the photos on the blog. I was looking at the one of the goldfinches. It's taken some time but at last we have seen them a couple of times on their new feeder. It helps if you know what different seed they all like doesn't it? But we only saw one the first time and then it was a while till we saw them again when three of them came. That was just before the snow came and we haven't seen them again since then. I did notice that they are very wary of even the slightest movement inside the house so maybe they're just getting used to us like the other birds have. Lots of them only disappear from the feeder if we actually go out and disturb them but don't take any notice of us moving about inside. So hopefully they'll be back again or maybe they are coming when we don't see them. I did notice the seed level seems to be a little bit lower in their feeder.

Something I noticed the other day when i went down the garden to check on the ducks (they don't like to wade far on the garden through the snow) were the footprints of the heron. One had obviously walked across the end of the garden at the river's edge. Their prints are absolutely huge. I had thought the pheasants' prints were big till I saw those!

Ah well got to add me beans to me tea now and then it'll only take about 10 mins so I'd better go and be a domestic goddess (hmmm).

Corr blimey Lizzie you should write a book.....so much information its lovely:o))

One of the birds we are getting more of in the area are Cormorants.....when we first moved to Monmouth we would see about 13/14, then all of a sudden almost all disapeared, well now we have approx 13/14 again:o))) they perch in a tree on the river bank along side the A40, fascinating birds.

We had a wagtail in back garden this morning but it flew off and not been seen since. We sometimes get them out the front but very rarely in back. The thrush has disapeared too.

l have nyger seed and put it out but still no g/finches. The seed in the feeder must have gone stale, it was not touched in weeks, so we threw it.

Yesterday we had approx 23 woodpigeons. They seem to come in gorge as much as they can then the blackbirds have their turn, then the smaller birds and sometimes the doves. Poor doves often sit back and wait.

Nite nite
jude :o0

I have noticed Jude that the doves are very patient.

Lizzie, our goldfinches stay on the feeder while we are in the conservatory but fly as soon as we open the door, they ignore us when we are at the lounge window although it is fairly close to the feeder. Greenfinches will eat nyger seed if it is in the tray under the feeder.

Thanks for the information about the greenfinches and how they prefer their nyjer seed served Ann. I shall inform the waiter immediately!

Snow mostly thawed today so it'll be easier to see to ther birds who usually stay down the garden rather than come to the feeders on the patio. Been doing my best, but didn't want to slip down the steps. Oooh can hear mastermind music, must go and rattle a few brain cells.

Afternoon everyone:o)

Snow gone apart from the odd lump here and there.

Birds not so hungry and its so much warmer.
The neighbours and ourselves have rats, so will have to call the council to send pest control round, they come from the river Wye and are as hungry as any other animal/critter.

Limping w/pigeon was about yesterday. Not seen the tail less blackbird though for a few days now:o( hope he's ok.

More photo's on blog:o)

jude :o)

Jude, thats one of the bad side effects of feeding birds and you dont have a cat. Our birds have slowed up today, too, with mainly blackbirds and one lovely thrush and one or two sparrows. Food left over, which I dont like to see as it encourages vermin.

The birds are singing today and not squabbling lol.They sound a lot happier now the snow and ice have gone.Still eating all the seed I put out ,but not so much the fatballs.

I've been listening to the birds singing while I was reading this morning. Got up 4.30 as I couldn't sleep. I agree they sound much happier now.

We went for a lovely walk yesterday from Compton Bassett to Yatesbury and back. Turned out to be via Cherhill which wasn't supposed to happen. It was because we passed a small reservoir which definitely is not marked on the OS, but we could see on the map a little piece of water ahead of where we thought we were standing. We were surprised to have made so much progress, nevertheless we had a rethink and of course then we were reading the map from completely the wrong point. Wasn't too much of a detour thank goodness and we did spot a bird of prey catch something and fly off with it. We weren't quick enough with the binoculars to see exactly what the bird was. There was still a good deal of snow and ice lying in Yatesbury although it's completely thawed in most other places. It was on the regional news last year as being the coldest place in the area as Cherhill Down shields it from the full benefit of the sun. I'd been walking comfortably without hat or gloves until we got there, but suddenly it was much chillier so I had to cover up.

When we got up yesterday there was a whole row of ducks sitting on the river bank in our garden. The thaw has made the river very full and much faster flowing so they must have been having a rest.

Suppose I'd better get on and do something useful now.

On the snow subject - when I was out yesterday I went past the Crammer Pond in Devizes which is still frozen over with the swans and ducks walking on the top. There is a small area which has been broken through for them but it hasn't seemed to get any bigger yet than when the cold was at its worst. I also saw that the Kennet & Avon Canal is still frozen over. We met some boating people about 2 weeks ago who couldn't leave their time limited free mooring when they should have because they were frozen in and were worried about getting charged for extra time. They were also worried that they couldn't get to the fuelling station as it doesn't just power the boat but also runs its heating too. They also have to run the engine daily to keep the battery power up which will not only affect them being able to move once they can, but also powers their electricity. There is sign of it thawing a little bit but I'm not sure it's enough to get some of the boats moving yet.

Don't know about you but we have a forecast of more snow possible tomorrow.

On the brighter side we have some snowdrops beginning to open by the front door.

Hi
Well the birds are back. Seen on the fatball today sparrows,blue tits.starlings,a robin and a gold finch. They were chased away by the local bully the Magpie but it moved on and the little birds came back.
i was also pleased to see on a walk down the garden that the hellebores and cyclamen are in flower.
Dare we hope spring is on the way.
Take care
Von

Fingers crossed Von. There are snowdrops out in the church grounds near us, a welcome sight, they seem to get earlier every year.

We still have quite a few birds although not as many as visited in the snow.

Hiya

My sister was talking about feeding the birds rice and the fact they don't eat it...........well her neighbour stirs a knob of butter in whilst its still warm and the birds eat it:o)))))) Sister tried it with a small amount and...yes they ate it:o))

We have a variety of birds still and we still this order of certain birds first etc....funny little things are'nt they:o)

Madoc has no bandages on now, stitches out on Monday:o)...he's been very good but has had the occassional insistant licking session so he has to wear his bucket collar:o((

Tec...are you ok and hows Ianto??

jude:o)

Poor old Madoc. I remember when we still had our old chap and he had one of those collars he looked like a hoover when he bent down to eat his food - we started to call him Dyson. One of our cats had one once too and couldn't understand why he suddenly couldn't get through the cat flap.