Hobbies and Crafts

Thanks Ann
Squirrel is a right little porker.He has been back several times again today lol
I don't understand how the feeder doesn't come unstuck from the window with it's weight .

And the pic is on the blog Jane.

I have spent most of today shooing the Squirrel out of the Window feeder :-S :-S
Will send a pic Ann.

Well yesterday I moved one of the thistle seed feeders higher on the outside of the apple tree. So there are two thistle feeders fairly close together. This morning we have had four goldfinches feeding, two on each.

Yesterday we had four wood pigeons in the garden, they came for lunch and then returned for tea. At which point I shooed them off. :-D

We also had four blackbirds in feeding again on the lawn.

I think my friend's Grannie might have been right. Today there has been a right frenzy of goings on.

The Dopey Doves were siting on the fence cooing at each other and getting friendly, as were a couple of Jackdaws.

The Magpie's nest is getting bigger by the day and is in danger of becoming as big as the small tree / big bush they have built it in. The good thing about it is they have thinned out the Blackthorn nicely in order to make it.

There has also been a lot of cheeping and chirping from the Sparrows who live in the Blackthorn.

We have also had some blue tits and great tits and the Robins, Thrushes and Wren are still about but nothing terribly exciting..

We were in Taunton earlier and on the way back saw a couple of Hares boxing each other in a field.

Glad your heating is sorted now Jane, enjoy your new car, nothing like that new car smell.

Quite a nice sunny day here today. Just a few dark clouds lurking about.

M.

Just had one blackbird today eating the mealy worms I sprinkled on the lawn. Filled all the feeders, the sparrows always empty theirs first but the goldfinches have been in and feeding so had to top theirs up this morning. They mostly seem to eat before we get up (we are not very early these dark winter mornings!)

The Blackbirds are out in force here these days.As are all the others.It is a very busy time with them all chasing each other .Spring is definitely in the air :-D

Not many birds around again but yesterday there were two robins round the feeder at the same time and as they weren't squabbling I think they were a pair. Also saw two great tits together.

Today has been murky - grey and damp all morning and very grey and wet all afternoon :-(. Roll on Spring

We were out all day but when I got home, at about 3pm I looked out of the upstairs window and there were four male blackbirds all busily pecking away around the garden, obviously finding something to eat. The Goldfinches have been in evidence again today, sometimes in our garden and sometimes next door.

It has been another really grey, miserable day and cold too. We went into town by bus, had coffee, then walked down to Gloucester Quays, the wind was cold here being by the docks. Bought a very lightweight black cardigan and OH bought a polo shirt, both for holidays in the M&S outlet. Walked back and had a curry in Wetherspoons (Thursday is curry day) which was very nice. I had Lamb Rogan josh, OH had Chicken Tikka Masala. So no meal to cook tonight. :-D :-D

The only buzzards I see are flying high in the sky. My friend who has a farm in the hills sees allsorts of predators, in the sky and the ground. I have seen buzzards, red kite and an eagle on a visit to the Isle of Mull, a beautiful little island

Your car sounds very hi-tech, a bit different to mine which is a basic 02 VW polo! but goes well so I am reluctant to change it as I don't drive very far now.

I know that the eye op won't solve the problem completely but I am hoping it will at least improve sufficiently enough for me to be able to go out in the summer. Last summer I sat indoors with the curtains shut and dark glasses on until the sun went down :-(

Also a dark cloudy day here in Yorkshire so the birds must be huddling in the shrubbery as hardly any are to be seen today. I am making the fat seedcake to put out tomorrow and hope to tempt them to our window feeder then.

Haven't seen any postings from Lesley for a while (unless I have missed them). Hope all is good and little M. is keeping her busy.

Not long to go now then Joan.Hopefully it will be a great success <3
It has been the same cloudy dark day here too today.Not a glimpse of the sun.
When I hear the squawking of the Crows I know they are chasing after the Red Kite.There has been a fair bit of that going on lately :-S

Yes I have my new car :-D.I picked it up at lunch time today.Lots of technology in it to get the hang of !!!!.Built in Sat Nav ,Blue Tooth ,Cruise control etc etc .I doubt I will use most of that lol.Maybe in year or so I might just about have the hang of it all lol
The Garden was very busy this morning with the Moorhens ,the Squirrel and baby bunnies !!!!.OH says the bunnies days are numbered :-S :-S.They look so cute though.
Yes I do think the Rat problem has been resolved for now.But I think it is best we leave the baited boxes in place.I do hate having to put poison down ,but needs must sometimes.
It is bliss now to have the heating back up and running .Fingers crossed we have no more trouble.But in this house you never know what the next problem will be.These last few years have been a nightmare with leaks and floods and you name it we have had it .

Crows can be aggressive Joan. Have you ever seen them when a buzzard approaches their teritory. They gang up and chase it and usually win as it flies off.

Glad you have got an appointment date. I hope it will solve your problem.

Another cold, grey dark day here, five in a row :-(

Jane I am pleased your heating is working again, my daughters was off last week also, but only for a day. It must be lovely to hear a nightingale, I have never heard one. Hope the rats have gone for good now. Are you pleased with your new car?

Ann glad your hospital appointment went ok. I have had my appointment for my eyelids to be done on the 25th Feb, have been waiting since May.

I think you have all the goldfinches, I haven't seen any this winter.

I have the usual assortment of birds at the feeders. The only thing of note I have seen is a crow chasing some seagulls in the field.

Well it is another really horrible day here today. It feels as if the cloud is sitting right on your head like a blanket. dry, very dark and cold and damp. Very quiet out whenw e went to tesco, quiet on the roads and quiet in the shop. At least that was a plus. In for the day now, and just noticed there are 20 updates waiting to be done on here. :-(

There is one goldfinch in the tree, otherwise not a bird in sight.

Loved it at Batsford yesterday, despite the grey misty day the trees were full of birds and bird song.

Thanks for that Ann
It is fascinating.I typed out some details of my Moorhens and asked a couple of questions and then when I went to submit ,I realised I don't have a google account :-S
and have no idea how to do one lol
But from reading all that it does seem very likely that the Moorhen are living in our hedge :-D

Birdwatching is a delight and never more so that when birds are nesting. This photo journal by wildlife photographer AnnMackieMiller documents one moorhen's nest along the Leeds to Liverpool canal.
Moorhens are great climbers so it was no surprise to find them nesting in a tree - they like to keep the nest hidden away from predators like mink and, in the water, pike. What was more surprising was the demonstration of ingenuity in how they pulled down a branch to get a start up the tree to the nest.
How to spot a moorhen's nest

adult moorhen with reeds
adult moorhen carrying nesting material
Moorhens nests can be hard to spot, especially once trees and shrubs take on new growth as Spring advances. Mostly you spot them by watching for both adults taking nesting materials into the nest.
Both adult moorhens are responsible for nest-building and they are very keen and very meticulous in their duty. The rule they seem to live by is 'never go back to the nest empty-beaked'. This gives the birder the ideal opportunity to see where the nest is hidden. Before eggs are laid you will see both adults out of the nest and carrying nesting material back.
Once eggs have been laid, the nest it is never left unattended. The adults take shifts in going off to feed and to forage for likely nesting material and then do a shift change - one off, one on. When the chicks hatch out, you will see the adults taking food back to the nest. It is often handed over to the sitting moorhen to pass onto the chicks but the carrier will feed the young ones too. .. and still the nest building continues.

Taken from the web

http://watching-bingley-birds.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/nesting-moorhens.html

Ann I hope it is the Nightingale.I will keep my eyes and ears open :-D
This morning my OH called upstairs to me to say to have a look out the bedroom window.The 4 Moorhen were all stood stock still staring at the big hedge.They were obviously a bit disturbed..It turned out to be a Weasel or Stoat that kept dashing in and out.I just hope that the birds haven't any eggs somewhere .There was also a Magpie mooching around there too.Which does make me wonder :-S :-S
I will have to see if I can find out about how Moorhens nest and when they are likely to have eggs.I just know they are waterbirds and that is the extent of my knowledge really.

I think we might have finally seen the end of the Ra** (for now) as bait has remained now for the last few days :-D..I live in hope :-D

Ooh how lovely Jane I have never heard one.

Ann it seemed to be a wire that was just under a loose board and so over the years overtime each time someone walked over it ,it got more compressed then split so exposed .That the gist of it (not being a pro on these things lol)

Now not being a pro on birds either.......but I think I have heard a Nightingale again :-D
I have managed to get the sound of it on my phone but the background traffic noise is quite loud which is very annoying .I have had a google for the Nightingale song (like I did last year) and it certainly sounds similar :-D