Hobbies and Crafts

Oh Maryanna that made me chuckle .Your friend seeing a bear lol.Maybe it was the big Puma type cat that roams our countryside.
As for the blasted Magpies there are 2 here right now trying to get to the Woodpidgeons nest just outside the lounge.I keep having to get up and clap my hands out the patio door.They are just like thugs :-S
How wonderful to see all that wild life .Especially the Puffins.I saw lots of Seals when I went to the Farne Islands but it wasn't the right time of year for the Puffins then.I was so disappointed.

Ann I love watching the Adults feeding their Babies.I say babies.They are huge lol
Sometimes it is hard to tell just by looking at them,but they seem to make their wings vibrate when food is on its way ,almost like they are getting too excited :-D.Sometimes I have a couple of little Blue tits doing that on the edge of the window feeder.

I do think the rain has stopped here :-D so I am off out to get some more cold and cough stuff.I can't believe it has come back again ,just before I'm due to go away :-S

Oh, and then I nearly forgot.....

When. We were away we went on a bus and boat ride up to the Forth Bridge. Wow !!

The boat trip was lovely and we actually had best part of an hour without rain. We were told we might see some wildlife, and we did.

Lots of seals laying on the buoys and those big things with bells and lights on, don't know what they are called. They weren't at all worried about the boat and we were very close to them, they just looked at us with their big eyes. Gorgeous..

There were lots of nesting birds, mostly Gulls on the rocks of the islands and then the Captain told us all to look right and there was a big group of Puffins. One of the crew said he had never seen so many. I have never seen them before they were very cute and I got a few photos, although they are not very clear.

Coming home, somewhere around York, we saw a beautiful Jay fly along the railway line. Not something we see round here much. At Durham there was a huge Fox sitting on some machinery at the side of the line.

Somewhere or another, my friend was convinced she saw a bear and took some convincing that we don't get bears in Britain. I think it was a big black sheep.

M.

Having walked home from Edinburgh, well not actually but that's how it felt, I was ready for my bed last night and looking forward to a bit of a lie in today.

That's the only trouble with going away and staying in hotels, you have to get up for breakfast and never know when housekeeping are going to burst in on you to make the room up.

However, it wasn't to be. At 6 am I was woken by what sounded like someone clapping in the apple tree, accompanied to the sound of a Magpie making that awful clacking noise they do.

When I looked out I could see the magpie and the Wood Pigeon who is in residence at the moment was hitting it with her wing. Which, I suppose, is what was making the clapping noise.

Unfortunately, the Magpie got hold of the egg and flew off into next doors garden with it. I suppose it is just as well that it hadn't hatched yet.

Horrible things.

Himself has decided he is fed up with the apple tree and all the goings on that happen in it, as well as the fallen fruit and leaves we get from it. He had it chopped back a couple of years ago by some Herbert who came to the door, it hasn't really been right since.

I am loth to do away with it, it it about 70 years old and was part of the garden our house was built on, when we moved in we had five apple trees in the garden but they all took up far too much room. This is the last man standing, it gives lovely Russett Bramleys but I suppose, we don't really use them like we should and a lot go to waste.

I can see this is going to be a long " debate ". I have a feeling, not one I am going to win.

M.

photos of cornwall and Dorset on the photo blog.

This morning while having breakfast in the conservatory I watched a family of 4 Great tits zooming around the garden just outside where I was sitting. The adults would sometimes feed the babies who were almost the same size as the adults. But the babies were also fending for themselves, I think they were catching insects off the plants in tubs and hanging baskets.

Then lunch time there was a family of 5 blue tits all on the feeders and fat balls doing the same, partly feeding the young who were partly feeding themselves..

What a beautiful day it has been today.Lots of sun ,very warm and a lovely breeze.So different from yesterday when there was so much rain.Mind you the garden is looking a lot fresher for it :-D
I keep seeing a little Sparrow with a beak full of nesting material.But I haven't managed to work out where it is nesting.We also have Wood Pidgeons nesting in our huge Bay Tree in the middle of the garden.I think this is the first time ever birds have nested in it.
It has been a busy day of planting .OH has put in a load more bedding plants and done more pots for the back patio.I have done the pots in the front with help from my daughter who is up from London for the weekend .It is nice to see her interested in gardening ,and she has been busy in her house share trying to titivate the garden there with colourful pots and window boxes.

I heard from Kandj on Friday and she would like to thank everyone once again for their kind words. She is feeling very weary but is so happy to have her OH home again.
I know she looks in on the thread.....Lots of love to you Kandj <3

I took your advice Jane and stopped putting food out for a couple of days and the starlings have disappeared but I think they will be back at any minute as my resolve has weakened and I've just put out some seeds and a couple of fat balls and a bit of seedy bread. I gave in when I saw a great tit hanging on the empty fat ball feeder and looking pathetic and a sparrow desperately trying to pull the last couple of seeds out of the seed feeder.

I'm so glad I wasn't travelling anywhere today Ann.My son is driving to Kent tonight so hopefully the roads aren't so busy now.

My Nightingale was singing its head off just now :-D

when we came back from Dorset, we joined the M5 at Bridgewater, we had stopped at Street outlet centre and the journey home should have taken an hour and a half. It took an hour longer. In places we were almost at a standstill. But those going towards Devon had it worse than us with a jam going on for miles from just South of Bristol, no obvious reason in some places 3 miles of road works in another but a very very high volume of traffic. :-( Long time we were last stuck in jams on the motorway, then to avoid the road works near our junction of the motorway we decided to come off and go down the A38, didn't check the time and ran into school traffic so yet more hold ups.

Anyway we are pleased to be home even if it did throw it down with rain when unpacking the car. :-)

Ann I hope your journey home today was not held up at all by the Bank Holiday traffic.

Vera ,I think if it was me .I might just try not putting any food out just for a couple of days and see if the hordes go elsewhere.I think the little ones will still come back.Because the starlings are like scavengers I would imagine they would soon move on to find food.It might just be worth a try.

Well my annoying little bird in the morning is not a Chaffinch it is a Great Tit.He was at it again just now and was sitting on the roof just above our bedroom.I did listen to a sound track on one of the sites and got OH to listen ...He said YES THAT IS THE LITTLE (bleep bleep ) :-D..I have my ear plugs now so will try them out tonight .Even if I just put them in when the Dawn Chorus begins :-D

What an afternoon .Thunder,lightening and torrential rain.It still looks a bit iffy :-S

We bought one of the feeders with a squirrel guard small enough to keep starlings and pigeons out but let small birds in. They are feeding young, it should ease off soon I think.

Sounds as though you are having a lovely holiday Ann.

You are right about swans being aggressive at times. Some years ago we were at the Otter Trust at Bungay and a couple of Hooper swans were nesting there. OH stood a good way back from them to take a photo but the cob suddenly lunged for him and took a bite at his midriff. I've never seen a bird move so fast. Come to that I've never seen OH move so fast either! He had a mark and a bruise for weeks. Luckily he was wearing a sweater and shirt or it could have been really nasty.

The starlings are driving me mad at the moment and seem to be keeping the other birds away. Yesterday my little lawn was covered in them and whatever food I put out disappears in seconds. This morning the hanging seed feeder was on the grass. They swing on it and seem to have managed to unscrew it from its top. The only other birds coming in at the moment seem to be a couple of blue tits who sneak a quick bite at the fat balls when the starlings aren't looking.

I really don't know what to do. If I stop putting food out for a while the starlings will stop coming but so will the other birds. If I carry on feeding it might encourage even more of them in and it's getting very expensive, even though I have started buying cheaper food from the market now. What would you do?

Oh Ann ,I am just off to buy some ear plugs lol I have been awake again since 4.20 .There is one particular bird that just goes on and on with a very loud and annoying noise.It isn't a song lol I think it might be a chaffinch but will check on one of the bird sites with the recordings of bird song.it is so useful.The rest of the Dawn Chorus is lovely :-D.Its only the one nuisance :-S

Lovely part of the country Lesley. We go home on Friday :-(

Our fish and chips were served on plates, some of the kiosks serve them in white paper but it was cod and brought in by local fishermen.

And ended the day with a fantastic sunset

Jane I would like to hear the dawn chorus but I take my aids out at night si don't hear anything. :-)

Happy holidays Ann, this week you are in my ancestors part of the country they were from Rockbeare...before our 3 were of school age we were happily feeding swans when they turned on us hissing like crazy, I grabbed 2 tots and luckily a complete strangers grabbed our 3rd :-D

Thinking of you kandj and sending lots of <3 <3 <3

Lesley x

What a smashing day you have had Ann ,and Fish and chips to top it off.Just lovely :-D
I'm still waiting for the timer on the oven to ping for dinner :-S.I would much prefer Fish and Chips :-D..They don't use Newspaper any more do they to wrap?

Our Dawn Chorus is getting beyond a joke these days.We are woken at about 4.20 and it just seems to get louder and louder each morning.I do love it but if they could just move a little further away from the bedroom window I would be very grateful lol

Our day today. Drove to Abbotsbury down the very scenic coast road,the sun was shining and the views were glorious, looking right down along Chesil Beach. We arrived at the swannery at about 10am and started the day with a coffee before making our way down to see the swans. There were still a lot sitting on unhatched eggs which was a surprise but also a lot of babies, one pair had eight babies and one had only one, she looked a very small young swan so that was probably why. Luckily there were no patients in the casualty pen but there were a pair and quite a few babies in the 'foster' pen. There were also moorhens with babies, these they had to keep away from the swans who will attack them if they go near the cygnets.
A lot of the nests were on the paths and we had to be careful walking past these as the cob could get aggressive if he thought we were too close. It was a lovely day to be there with the sun shining on the Fleet and the white of the birds sparkling in the sunlight.
Sadly the February storms had caused a lot of damage which is slowly being rebuilt. The sea apparently flooded right over the Fleet and into the swannery and across the fields twice, a week apart. We walked back to the car, deciding not to wait to watch the feeding having seen it twice before. Stopped to look at the model of the bouncing bomb.
Had coffee and crisps in the car then walked down the lane to the children's farm in St Peter's Abbey grounds. Looked at the huge barn now a big play centre then walked around taking photos of the animals. Walked back to the car and drove to West Bay (Broadchurch on TV) for fish and chips by the quay. They were delicious as usual. We walked out along the pier to take photos and sit in the sun.

Not sure about bluetits, maybe it does have three compartments yes.
Sounds as though the was an idyllic afternoon.

Yes I hope Kandj's OH is home ok.

Ann we had nothing but tonight looks like it could be pretty awful.It is feeling quite muggy now and plenty of the wet stuff is forecast :-S
OH and I have spent a lovely afternoon having lunch with our friend who lives down the lane in a converted barn.Sitting on the back terrace watching the Swifts flitting and swooping around and lots of Sparrows up in the guttering under the eaves.Also there was a lot of activity in a bird box with Blue Tits going in and out.it is quite a large box with 3 holes.Would that mean there are 3 separate compartments?There was quite a squabble at one point when one bird went into one hole and got chased off by another that was inside.

Have been thinking of Kandj and hoping that her OH came home on Sunday as planned.It will be so much better to be back in his own surroundings and to be with Kandj again <3

The tray from the window feeder was on the ground this morning :-S Must be that pesky squirrel or possibly the Wood Pigeon .I have just had to chase it off again :-|