Hobbies and Crafts

I was in Tes** today and there was a lady who had such a terrible cough ...she was actually sick :-S :-S

We now have 4 Moorhens .So from just the one it is like a little tourist group lol
Rat Stations in place now this afternoon ,so hopefully we might be rat free again soon.

Good grief Maryanna, I hope mine doesn't last 6 months!!! :-(

Oh Ann, I know when I had that one a couple of years ago that went on for over six months, I was exhausted. Cracking a couple of ribs didn't help either.

The only good thing about being so poorly for so long was that I lost loads of weight without trying. Soon put it back on though.

:-(

M. :-)

Ann it is so wearing having that kind of cough.You must feel exhausted.But at least you can sleep lying down now.So many people seem to be suffering from the same thing at the moment .Touch wood we don't have it.So far so good :-D

Worse than the one I had about two years ago Jane as it has gone on longer, but daughter has it and a couple of the grandsons (we all caught it off daughter) and OH has had it about a week. It is hanging on but not sleeping upright now, haven't been for two weeks, still woke coughing in the night last night but it soon stopped.

Vera I was thinking about a ground feeder but I daren't as it might encourage the R***
(don't look Kandj)
We are getting a couple of R** boxes tomorrow as we have had 2 around :-S :-S

Oh The sound of Chickens Squawking in the middle of the night is just horrendous isn't it Maryanna :-0 :-0.When next door had a load of Chickens it would often happen when a Fox was about.It made me feel quite sick as they carry on with the noise for SO long ands sound so distressed :-(......Then I would imagine a slaughter :-S :-S

Ann your cough is going on.Is it like the one you had a year or so back when you had to sit up to sleep?I hope not.

I am very happy to report I have at long last had a Long Tailed Tit again on the feeder :-D.I hope there are more to come.

I had a mad moment and put this on the garden thread by mistake so have done a c & p here. Don't think my brain is in working mode at the moment.

I have put my ground feeder thingy out this morning and am waiting to see if the robin or other small birds get to the food before the starlings do. I don't know how the starlings get in and out as the mesh on the cage is fairly small but I suppose they are quite slim birds. At least it keeps the fat old pigeons away.

Jane, our patio was so wet again last week I am surprised we didn't have ducks or Moorhens.

The drainage and relaying of the slabs, didn't seem to make a lot of difference, but then we did have an awful lot of rain in a very short time and at one point instead of pretending to be a pond, for a short time it was a lovely skating rink.

Just what you need when you step out of the back door !!!

Lots of birds today, Mr and Mrs Blackbird and another Mr B. The Thrush, dozens of Sparrows who all had a moment and started creating and flying out of the Holly, so I suspect the Sparrow Hawk had flown in for a snack.

Several Magpies, who were seeing if they could make more racket than the Gulls and the jackdaws, a couple of Blue Tits and a Robin and I think I saw a Wren, something very small was rustling about in the Ivy.

Then there are the Collared doves, like Jane's there are three but they swap about so there are never more than two sitting together, lots of Wood Pigeons that are getting so fat they can hardly waddle about and still the huge flock of Racing type pigeons.

Nothing terribly exciting but certainly more at one time than we have had for a long time, probably because everything is frozen outside.

Next doors chickens woke us up at 3.30 this morning, the fox was probably about, no sign that he got any if them though, they make such a row, frightens us to death in the middle of the night.

M.

Had the female black cap (she has a reddy brown cap) on the apple tree and eating bread off the lawn this morning. Other than that just seen one lonely starling (the starlings seem to have abandoned us but I wonder if the large flock we had in autumn were the ones that only visit in the summer/warm seasons and fly South for the winter. We also have a regular pair of Great Tits and a few blue Tits that visit. Not seen the Robin for a while. However, with this cough I have been getting up late so probably miss the early birds. :-D

Still not getting many birds, just a few starlings and a couple of pigeons, but we have seen one bluetit and one robin. Hadn't seen the robin for several weeks so it was good to see he's back. Now that we are getting some hard frosts here I'm going to put my ground feeder back out as the robin prefers it. It has a cage over it that is supposed to keep out bigger birds but the starlings still seem to get in it :-|

I got some freebie berry flavoured suet cakes a while ago but I still have the first one on the feeder. Even the starlings won't touch it! OH says they have been spoilt by my home made fat cakes :-D

3 Moorhens visiting today :-D..Seems like the word is getting around ..place to go lol

Ann I haven't see Ratty for a while.(maybe I just haven't been looking out at the right time)
We also have some lovey doves .They seem to be liking the big Ash tree in the front garden .There do seem to be an odd number though at the moment.Maybe 2 males and a female? One always seems to fly off.2 is company 3 a crowd :-D

He will hoover up all the bits so they don't attract the rat hopefully Jane. I noticed we had a pair of doves back today so either it is the same pair reunited or he/she has found another partner.

I have a male Pheasant now mooching around under the window feeder !!!..They are getting bigger .The little birds, Rat, Moorhen and now a whopper :-D

If I do the Birdwatch survey ,I won't be able to keep up with our number of birds LOL
I still am astounded at how aggressive the Chaffinches are.They are really quite nasty.

At the end of the month we are going to Suffolk for a couple of nights.If the weather is ok I hope to go back to Minsmere the RSPB reserve.I have a new pair of Binoculars that OH bought me for Christmas so am hoping to get some use out of them there.

My word the wind is certainly picking up here now...No snow though.

Ann, thank you for sharing the funeral service with us. It sounded just right. I have been thinking of your daughter and family, and wishing them strength to cope with their grief.

After a couple of really wet days the weather has been glorious today, a bit windy and very, very cold but with bright blue skies and sunshine. Unfortunately the sunshine still hasn't tempted the birds to visit. The seeds are going down slowly though I think they are getting eaten very early before I am up as I haven't seen anything on the feeder. The suet cake, a freebie from Homebase, the peanuts and the Niger seeds are untouched.

I usually do the RSPB Birdwatch but I don't think I'll bother this year. There doesn't seem much point in standing by the window for an hour and then have nothing to report.

We had a dusting of snow, nothing to speak og. In the Forest of Dean they had 2 cms and schools were shut. words fail me.

Still no birds here. I am not even going to attempt the bird watch as I just know it will be too frustrating.

Ann I have had a look at the other thread .What a wonderful service .I really like the idea of a similar one for when it is my time.But I would not want a burial.I think if you can plan things yourself as Jon did it takes an awful lot of worry off the loved one left behind.I know my Sister says she has planned hers.
Ooh it is going to be a cold night...You might get snow down your way Ann...We may get some too.Possibly just on the edge of it.

Well my birds are as crazy as ever.There was a real battle going on earlier as to how many could reach the feeder first,and then the bullying Chaffinches were trying to take over and having a go at anything that came near. :-| :-|

I hadn't seen any birds at all today until just then when I looked out of the window and, on the tree in the garden of the bungalow that joins our garden at the bottom there is a small flock of about 5 goldfinches. They always used to feed in our garden until that lady moved in two years ago but for some reason they all defected to her feeder. :-( :-(

Thank you Ann for sharing the Humanist Service. It seems to have been very special day for everyone. I hope that your daughter and family found some comfort knowing that Jon had arranged it all. Its good that you are now home safely with such bad weather around. I hope that your cough improves soon.

It is bitterly cold here in Yorkshire with gusty winds and snow forecast Wednesday!
Not many birds around today. Perhaps its too cold for them today.