Hobbies and Crafts

You are not going to believe this. Last year right at the end (in the last 5 minutes) of the spring bird watch a thrush landed in our garden. Nothing unusual except that we had never seen one in the garden for at least 10 years. This morning, half an hour AFTER we had finished the bird watch, a thrush landed in the garden, and we have not seen one all year. I could not believe it, how strange.

Evening all:o)

Ann.....yep!!! the woodpigeons are'nt always there at the same time as that many c/doves The other day we had 24 woodies and about 6 c/doves, each day varies but we do get through alot of seed, we buy a big bag now and a big bag of nuts:o)) we buy 2 or 3 pkts of suet and 1 or 2 pkts of sultana's each week, plus some fruit (sometimes) and the occasional meal worms and cheese, digestive biscuits and bread!!!!
The lady nextdoor but one feeds them twice a day, a lady over the road once a day and probably a number of other neighbours....so they do very well here:o))

l do wish we had some Goldfinches:o((

We have a thrush but very rarely.
Thanks for the info from Liz's thread:o)
jude:o)

I am bashing up the nuts we have left over from Xmas.Brazils,Almonds and Hazelnuts and mixing them in with the seed.They love it lol
I got a couple of photos of the Moorhen this afternoon as they were so close to the house.But they disappear quickly at the sign of any movement.I don't think the pics are any good for the blog ,but will send you 1 Jude .
The long tailed tits are still around.They are so funny as they stick together like glue.All feed at the same time and all fly away together too.

We did ours on Saturday afternoon a little before it would get dark which we find is another time the feeders are busy when they get their supper before they bed down for the night. It was a beautiful day on Saturday, lovely and sunny but cold so we expeceted to see the usual loads, but it wasa bit quieter for us as well. Still we saw 15 different kinds, just fewer numbers than usual of each. Was excited in the morning - thought we might get a woodpecker as I could see it somewhere around. But it didn't come.

Hi
It's such a miserable day weatherwise I think all the birds are hiding and who could blame them.
However on the bright side my first daffodil is in flower at last.
Take care
Von

Hi
I think I've failed with the education of my children.
Eldest son who is in temporary residence came to tell me that there was a large green bird with a red head in the garden.
Me---" That will be the woodpecker "
Son ---" But it's on the lawn"
Duh!!!!
Anyway it was a welcome sight digging in the lawn for insects and fascinating to watch.
Take care
Von

Lucky you Von, pity you didn't have a camera handy. had to laugh at your son though!!

Ann
I've tried many times to photograph the Woodpecker but when you look at the photos it's difficult to pick out the Woodpecker from the grass.
Now I know it's about I will try with another lens to see if I can get a good shot.
I forgot to say I've now got two daffodils in bloom.
Take care
Von

Hello.... I am getting better at identifying birds now that they are coming closer into the garden!!

Von, I had a woodpecker in my garden today, too.... we have a few in the woodland surrounding the house... side and back, a green one and a black/white red one... the best though are the long tailed tits... I have even managed to get photos of those... the jays come in every day... and there were loads of geese in flight over us this morning.... not sure if they might have been going or coming back from elsewhere, but haven't heard them for ages....

I haven't seen the heron for a while... I can only see it from my bedroom window, as it doesn't actually come into the garden, just the rean at the side of us.

The crows are looking to be very canoodly... surely it is too early for them to be acourting?

Love

Daff xxxx

ps.... I am so jealous.... not a daffodil bud, yet!! Snowdrops are out though, and some have flowered...

I managed to get a couple of photos of the Moorhen walking on the top of our 10/12 foot Yew Hedge.I don't know why they suddenly have started spending so much time up there and in there.
My daughter said yesterday If I keep feeding the birds so much food ,they won't be able to take off soon lol.

I love the long tailed tits, we haven't seen any lately but we do get them occasionally.
But I would love a woodpecker

Strange that Jane isn't it?

Daff
These are early Cornish bulbs that I have bought back from my holidays.
You plant them in August and with any luck they come out in January.
One year they even flowered in December and had flowered twice that year as they had already flowered in the January - if you get my drift.
This year they are a bit later but I guess that was because of the snow.
I planted some more last summer but they are taking a bit longer but there are lots of buds.I just hope we don't have any more snow.

I wish I could recognise individual bird sound as I can hear lots of birds but they are not always visible in the garden. When I walked to my village today I could hear a cacophony of sound but apart from a couple of sparrows I couldn't see anything else. They were obviously hiding somewhere singing their hearts out.
I'll have to get a CD or something to help me
Take care
Von

Evening all ;o)

Janes photo's on the blog:o)

jude

Thanks Jude.

Morning all.....I have just been out to feed the birds, R bought some more seed and fat balls yesterday..... they were waiting.... and so was Jess and Jethro, lol..... they have been shooed off now, but neither of them have caught anything for a good while... the birds are wising up to them, thankfully.

Is the very pretty bird, pink chest and it looks like a grey back, a chaffinch? can't find my book.... and will google it later.... but I can see one out the back on the table feeding away... both hunters are here, so the bird is safe...

I watched the woodpecker again this morning, from my bedroom window... there were two, but I could only see the one properly, could hear both, though... one has a deeper ratatat, is still bashing away at the tree trunk at the side of the house. It was there most of yesterday, too, so there is lots of yummy stuff going on there for it.

Von, they sound lovely... there is nothing better than a spot of colour at this time of year is there?

Right.... I am going to have an *up my tree* day today, lol... off to work I go, lol

Love

Daff xxxx

Morning all:o))

Its a miserable day today:o((

We found a dead male chaffinch yesterday and we have a sad looking c/dove, do hope its ok this morning as l have'nt seen it yet, it was sitting on the fence yesterday for hours and looked very ruffled:o(

Daff...we used to have a heron sit on our fence watching next doors fish, he ate everything bar a couple and some were quite big. The pond has been made deeper now, don't think neighbour has any probs since. He's got some whoppers too:o)

Jane...those Moorhens bless em do look cute:o)

Von...whats your son like...lol..Have you area's with alot of moss, we have on a small wall and noticed recently alot had been picked off, this could be the g/woodpecker looking for insects, as we saw one do it about a yr ago.

Not many birds out this morning:o(

jude :o)

Jude
Yes we do have a lot of moss on the lawn.
Apparently Green Woodpeckers like ants and ant larvae so they'll find plenty of those in my lawn.
Ah well that justifys the lack of attention I give the lawn!!!
Take care
Von

Those Moorhens are getting very brave.They are now standing on the table where I put the seed,which is only a few feet away from the house.They are making a bit of a mess though with their rather large poo lol

Awww Jane how funny:o))

Von .... we have loads and loads of ant nests, they are everywhere, blinky things, they eat my flowers too:o((((

jude xx