Hobbies and Crafts

I have seen some funny kind of ducks.They were flying in a group and looked a silvery/white colour.They looked quite small and dainty compared to the mallard.Any ideas what type they could be?

I have just discovered we have a blackbirds nest in the climbing rose on the arch .It is just a couple of feet above my head.I saw the adult fly in and then heard babies!!!!!.I was going to deadhead the roses ,but think I had better leave well alone for now.

Talking of blackbirds.....l was watching one yesterday morning in neighbours garden eating an apple, if l had stayed watching it for one more minute l would have seen the sparrow hawk fly in and grab it:o(((( must admit l would sort of liked to have seen that, not in a marcarb way , but to see the hawk!:o))

l'm still trying to think of the name of those ducks Jane, or the possible name of them:o) it will come to me:o)

jude

I was sat in bed this morning and heard a knocking noise .It was one of the Woodpeckers on that dead tree .I could see it tapping away like mad.It looked like it was head butting the tree trunk lol.

Hello:o)

l have a big opology to make, l have tried to get the photos onto the blog but can't, it took me about half hr to find them and they are in a named folder , then it just would'nt happen....soooo l will get them sorted when l get me knew laptop:o) Been looking at some today and just waiting to have a chat with puter man:o)

Onway home we went to the Wetlands Trust at Newport, not alot going on there but its very relaxing, lovely coffee and cakes and very helpful staff. Had quite a chat with a smashing lad.

Saw an Egrette, juvenile (sp) and very young moorhens, a kestral, loads of mallards, sparrows and a few greenfinches on the feeders....and its FREE.

Not seen any Woodpeckers here for ages:o(

jude x

Sounds inteteresting, Jude.

Jean....:o))))

We suddenly get a flurry of little birds .They look like some kind of Tit.There could be up to 20 or 30 (a guess) and they seem to come in a frenzy and then just disappear .
Woodpeckers still very active here.I hope you get your new laptop sorted Jude.How is Madoc doing?

It's so frustrating isn't it when you can't get things to happen. I hope you get a nice new pooter - I know I'm happy with mine since I got it.

Having been here nearly 2 years now we have had visits from egrets for a few days very early in the year so presumably on their way to or from somewhere. I think we saw them for about 3 days each time in about Jan/Feb. It was quite a surprise the first time - I'd never seen one before, but it was good to see it again at about the same time this year. I hope they come every year.

We haven't had as much woodpecker activity this year as last although we do see the greater spotted from time to time on the feeder and we've had the green one to our knowledge in the garden twice - we've seen it once each so that's fair...

And the swans having come for a couple of weeks regularly are avoiding us again.

Jane....could be Long Tailed tits, they appear sometimes in groups.

The white ducks l was thinking of before are too big l would think, but they were Shellduck, Eider and Muscovey, or the good old plain white farm duck!!

l wrote loads of info down re the laptop whilst at PC world, guess what???? l lost it.....grrr

jude

Jude I haven't seen these Ducks since .I wonder if they were just passing through and needed somewhere to rest.
The little birds are not Long Tailed Tits .They look like blue tits,(that size anyway) but don't stay still ling enough for me to get a good look lol.

This morning I went with my daughter to Corby and in the town they had lots of pens with allsorts of little animals.Shetland pony ,a little donkey,some goats and a couple of beautiful little piggies.They were called Kune Kune Pigs.They were a ginger colour with black spots!!.Absolutely gorgeous.

Oh My Word!!!!!!! I have seen 2 Barn Owls sat on the top of the dead tree.The light was just going and I just happened to look up from the laptop out the window and there they were.They have just flown off.I doubt I will see that again.

How lucky to see barn owls Jane, they are lovely aren't they?

We saw 1 a week or so ago Ann on the same tree.I didn't know you could see 2 together like this.

You are lucky, and lbet you see them again:o)


MY LAPTOP IS INSTALLED......yeh,its taking me a while to get to grips with it though....grrr

During the last week we have had:.. Lesser spotted woodie:o) the Nuthatch, and a dear baby Blackcap female, it must have flown into the greenhouse, lfound it nearby and picked it up.Left it to rest in a box garage for couple of hrs, lifted it onto my hand and it flew off, it stayed in the garden calling its parents for a while and has now gone, l hope. Could'nt believe it when l realised what it was and the Woodpecker, brilliant:o)


jude

I've just been down the garden because there were four young ducks down there just getting brave enough to come out of the river onto the garden and request their supper. OH had just got home so we fed them and he saw another 5 on the river who I think are the 5 ducklings who came by regularly when they were small. As that lot were deciding they'd had enough a Mummy came round the bend with 9 new ducklings - one of them looked black all over and another looked quite dark too, the others had the more usual colouring for their age with a bit of yellow still in them. Hope she manages to keep those and get them mature enough before the cold weather starts. What a little flotilla.

We're learning to live with the voles and one of the cats goes on vole patrol regularly. She doesn't seem to have caught anything that we know of but hopefully she's deterring too many from moving in. They do seem to be keeping to the area under the willow tree and not moving to the open area of the lawn so it's acceptable so far.

Saw one of our woodies on the peanuts again yesterday, so good to know they're still about.

A number of the adolescent ducklings seem to have decided we're a good bet and were on the garden again this morning checking if we'd come to them. They like the immature windfall apples too, so there's always something down there at the moment if we don't respond as required.

And we have a skein of geese started on their daily morning and evening flights from the sand pits to Bowood Lake and back (at least I think that's their plan from the direction they fly each time). Anyone know why they do that at this time of year? Is it practice flights do you reckon before they head off somewhere else for the winter?

Have just been sat in the garden and there was lots of birds singing and screeching .Then I spotted 2 sparrow hawks circling above.I saw them dive down into neighbours garden 2 doors down.But suddenly all the birds went quiet .It was a deathly silence lol

Jane.....what you mean...lol.....what you like...lol :o)

l have put Dizzies photo's on blog, but it won't let me add any more (honest), l have closed the blog and signed in again, left it and tried again, alsorts. SO WILL try again later or tomorrow:o(((
SORRY:o(

jude

Oh no l have just sussed it out:o))))))) lol

jude