Hobbies and Crafts

Thanks Jude Have also sent you a couple of pics of a dragonfly taken at Morwellham Quay in October, the farm used for The Edwardian Farm on BBC1

Add them if you think others might be interested.

Linda :O) XxX

Brilliant pic of the Heron .He knew the right place to perch lol

Thank you Jane
Just a case of right place right time. It wasn't til I loked properly at the photo I realised the significance of the name of the club. Maybe I should contact them and see if they would like a copy............ at a price of course LOL.

The pictures on Jude's blog are all lovely. Most brining back memories of sunnier and warmer days. Still winter hopefully won't last too long then we can watch for the new life in Spring both plants and animals and birds.

Linda :o) XxX

Thanks Linda....l will take a proper look at dragonflies in a mo. My laptop has been playing up, l had 11 fingies detected, my puter man has just left having sorted it and eaten a rather large brisket roast dinner.....lol....he would'nt take any money, l'll remember that:o)))

jude:o) x

Cant get used to reading the pages from bottom up, very confusing!

Jean....when the thread opens, click on' post date' on the right, it has a little white arrow with it, that brings you to the last post posted.....l hope!!

jude

Linda....your Dragonfly photo's are on the blog. Amazing:o)

jude :o) xx

Thanks Jude
I couldn't quite believe how they came out as I was holding the camera in one hand when it landed on the other !!

Even with digital we sometimes get surprises

Linda :o) Xxx

Came back to a very frozen garden. Quite a surprise as it was not nearly as cold in Torquay. One day we stood and watched a fisherman with his catch surrounded by gulls and two very expectant cormorants. Will send the photos as soon as I have downloaded them Jude.

Certainly a lot more birds in the garden this afternoon. b;ackbird, several greenfinches, chaffinches, goldfinches, sparrows, bluetits, not seen the coaltit but we weren't here this morning and morning is usually when he visits.

That Dragonfly looks a whopper!!!!.How on earth did you managr to get it to land on your finger Linda?

Jane...is'nt it a beauty:o)

Ann...welcome back:o) You have a few greenfinches?? lucky you:o))

jude

Hi Jane
We had just been round Morwellham Quay and I was going to take a photo of the river, when this dragonfly appeared he hovered in front of me, then landed on my hand as I was holding the camera so I gently moved my hand out and it stayed so I snapped with one hand and hoped. I thought it might be shaky but It came out better than I could have hoped. Added to that I could barely see the screen as I didn't have my glasses on.

In the first photo it looks like a helicopter, which is odd cos that's what my children used to call them.

Still got lots of birds feeding thought it was just around freezing today. We had a big black cat waiting to pounce so had to chase him off, he was well fed and quite fat so I didn't feel guilty.

Linda :o) Xxx

Had a busy weekend with baby boy home. He had his driving test here yesterday, was booked before he moved away and anyway everyone reckoned he'd be better off doing the test here rather than in London. So we have another driver in the family. He had great conditions to drive in - the little bit of thaw the other day has iced over again and there was heavy fog in some places too. Still he did it. And then he's off home again to work and to move flats next weekend. We'll go and help him with that.

Still at least I can now get my car in and out of the garage again which means it's more comfortable to get into and quicker to get going as it needs no defrosting. I'd had to keep it at the top of the slope after taking a while to get it up there the other day. Now though, since the slope's thawed it's stayed that way as all the dampness ran down and drained away so although other flatter areas are a bit icy that bit's fine thank goodness.

Everything is white outside but not from snow now. It's such a heavy hard frost. I'm using some old dog bowls to change the water regularly for the birds. Just take a fresh one out and bring the frozen one in to defrost in the utility sink its own time. Forgot I had them and had been standing out there slowly melting the ice with hot water from the kettle before - der. Mind you I have one ceramic bowl out there that is frozen fast to the top of the wall.

Can't remember if I posted on here - I think I've found a way to stop the squirrels taking the coconut halves of fat cakes. I can't remember whether I heard it on TV or radio, or read it in a book or mag but I now add a little bit of chilli powder to the mix. Apparently it's fine for the birds but the squigs don't like it and it seems to be working. The birds are definitely taking the fat when it's not frozen solid out there but the shells are not nicked wholesale within the first half hour now. I have a set of measuring spoons that includes an eighth of a spoon size and that seems enough. Wherever I got the info from was mentioning sprinkling the chilli into peanut feeders, but I don't mind the squirrels that much and kind of expect them to have those, but now that's pretty much all they get from our feeders.

Garden full of hungry starlings, wood pigeons and one goldfinch at the moment eating apple and grapes I put out, plus the normal bird food.

We have had many birds over the last couple of days after not seeing any for over a year. The bluetits are having a lovely time bathing in the waterfall. We have had bluetits, blackcap, pied wagtails, wagtails, blackbirds, thrushes and chaffinches. And of course, crows, oh , and sparrows. And one wren once.

Hey Jean thats brilliant, can lsend a report to the Wild life trust??

jude

This is from Eddiesgrandad....FEEDING THE BIRDS......

I've had a Chiff Chaff calling in the garden all morning There have been siskins, blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits, a pair of bull finches and an escaped zebra finch that has been visiting for several months. There are house and hedge sparrows, redwings, robins, wrens in fact all the usual suspects in the garden and on the feeders.
In the fields are starlings,linnets, snow buntings, fieldfares, huge flocks of goldfinches.
And not a single greenfinch to be seen. I have n't seen one locally for several weeks although I would expect to see dozens in and around the garden at this time.
Greenfinches have been killed off in huge numbers by a parasite, Tricomonosis Gallinae, which has crossed from pigeons and doves into the finch population.
If you feed your garden birds, and they need it right now, PLEASE ensure the feeders and water bowls are kept absolutely scrupiously clean as unclean feeders and dirty water are the main ways that this parasite is spread.
Trico. Gallinae is harmless to humans and other animals.

And here's the next post ...........

Jude,
Sorry, been out with the binocs. all afternoon. Yes of course you can.
You're fortunate to see greenfinches, they seem to have been decimated here. I've been looking again today but there's none about. I hope the chaffinches don't die too. Next time I take a couple of wood pigeon for the pot I will do so with a clear conscience!
There are one ot two waxwings about though : )
And the snow buntings are still down at the harbour (Clovelly),
I guess they've come across from Lundy, and there are more on the moorland heading down towards Stratton.


Thanks Eddie:o)

jude

Only seen woodpigeons today so far, but they were very hungry

Linda :o) XxX

I counted at least 12 starlings yesterday afternoon, the first we have seen for ages.

I sent you cormorant photos Jude, did you get them?