Hobbies and Crafts

Is it my imagination or are there more butterflies around already this year? Last year was a very poor year for butterflies but this year there seem to be plenty fluttering around already. I suppose it's because it was a mild winter.

Not one bird at the feeder........... not many birds around here, yet it is abright dry sunny day today.

I was awake very early this morning and then somewhere around 5/5.30 came the lovely song from a Blackbird :-D.It was lovely.I suppose they will get going now lol

Shaun how lovely to have a Golden Eagle around.Is this anywhere near you?
We have the Kites and Buzzards ,and often the Kite will fly so low just over the house :-DI just love to see it.

It is a really foggy /misty morning here . :-S :-S I thought it was supposed to be sunny !!!.It is feeding time at the window :-D,but food is getting a it on the low side so I better top it up and then go and buy more.

Pleased to say the birds seem to be gradually finding their way to us. This morning there was a dunnock on the seed feeder, first one we've seen here. Mind you, he seemed a bit fussy; he was pecking at some of the seeds and throwing out the ones he didn't fancy, but the starlings on the ground soon hovered them up.

Amazing video Shaun, thankyou. Only one starling interested in the window feeder, just pecked once and flew off. Will see if tomorrow brings in my fussy flock.

Jane, I am like Lesley and don't hear too well these days but I can remember when we bought our first house (a long time ago) it was on a new estate and backed on to farmers field and local wood. It was good to hear the cuckoo and listening to the dawn chorus was awesome.

Lesley I know how many clothes fit in a backpack because our daughter also went off on her travels and returned (12 months later) with dirty washing in tow ready for Mum to work her magic ha ha......... happy days, I remember it well.

Shaun how spectacular, wouldn't it be lovely if the golden eagle returned to Wales.

MOG hasn't heard the cuckoo Jane :-(

Lesley x

Check out this link folks, Golden Eagle spotted in Wales.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-12322874


Lesley~~ living at 1,397 feet it's still quite chilly although we have had lovely sunshine.

Kandj~~how's the feeding going, any takers?

Shaun

Jane I don't hear very well so haven't heard a cuckoo for years :-( when MOG stops watching the TV through his eyelids I'll ask him if he's heard one around here :-D

Lesley x

I don't know if I imagined it ,but I thought I heard a Cuckoo today!!!

Shaun here in Essex we must be getting warmer brighter days if our blackbirds are already nesting.

Lesley x

Kandj,
I use the same mix and the birds go mad over it, if you have any aniseed extract sprinkle a little over the food, it will encourage them.

Black birds are busy gathering nesting materials , seen a Nuthatch picking moss off the roof so they are thinking about something as well.

Shaun

Hello Shaun and thank you for sharing your recipe and link, I remember the link from Ann's old thread but still enjoyed looking at it again today.

kandj I felt physically sick all day Saturday after hearing the horrific news about the Malaysian Airline :-( the last load of holiday washing has been done...you wouldn't believe how many clothes fit in a back pack :-0

Jane it sounds as though you and your family had a lovely time in London...belated Happy Birthday Hannah...yes the breakfast and dinner went down very well as did a real cup of tea :-D

Sounds as though you had a real nasty virus Jude :-( but it's good to hear you seem to be turning the corner...hope you've settled into your new home...with the ducks :-D

Hope your having a lovely relaxing holiday Ann.

Rubs shoulders with lucky Vera, I hope you enjoy your hamper.

Still plenty of birds in and out the hedge but not many on the feeders, a couple of weeks ago we had a covey of partridges in the garden now we only have a pair, I'll try and watch to see were they are nesting, MOG said he's seen female blackbirds sitting on eggs if so in 3 or 4 weeks we should start seeing the young:-D

Lesley x

Seedcake in the window feeder since early this morning and NO takers (as yet??) Good job that I am a patient person. It is sunny and much warmer today than yesterday and so I can't think of any reason why no birds are visiting our garden.

Vera, no wonder you were excited seeing the goldfinch on your fence, it's getting nearer so keep watching and waiting. I would love the finches or tits to come so we can see them close up but our window feeder only seems to have attracted one young male blackbird and lots of starling. I am ever hopeful though.

Feeling quite excited. Doing a bit of gardening just now, I saw the pair of goldfinches that OH had seen a couple of times. They were flitting round the shrubs in the next garden then one of them flew across and sat on our fence watching me. I stayed as still as I could and he was there for what seemed like ages before he flew away (probably a few seconds lol). I hope before long they will venture right in to the garden and use the feeder.

After feeling grumpy about the pigeons and starlings, that's really cheered me up.

So much for my covered ground feeder that only allows in small birds!

As I said yesterday I've seen starlings manage to fly in and out of it but they are quite slim birds. Today I saw a fat pigeon standing on the grass and poking his head through the mesh to gobble up the food. I thought my robin was getting through an awful lot. Now I know most of it has gone down the throats of the pigeons and starlings. The only thing I can think to do is to put just a small handful of food right in the middle of the feeder so that the pigeons' heads can't reach it, but the starlings would still get at it as they seem able to fly right in.

The seeds in the hanging feeder seem to be going down quite a bit each day and I keep topping up but we've seldom seen anything on it. Now I wonder if the pigeons have found a way to get at those.

The bluetits are coming regularly to the suet cake and the fat balls, and occasionally one will peck at the peanuts, but no sign of anything going for the nyger seeds yet.

Interesting link Shaun, thank you. Fingers crossed that the birds will be tempted with your recipe. I'll put it out tomorrow. My birds won't touch the shop bought fat balls so I hope they will visit for the home made sort but they are very fussy.

Hadn't realized that you were still abroad Ann. Lucky you...... enjoy!

Lovely photos thanks for sharing Jane. Can't even think that you have the furry creature still running around (uugghh) and now baby bunnies too. What next??

Lesley I hope you are not hidden under lots of dirty washing from your daughter?

Jude I hope you are feeling a little stronger today.

Vera, your raffle prize sounds exciting. I hope there are lots of goodies for you.

I went to get stocked up at our local Tesc* which reopened today after a week of refurbishment and everything has been changed around..... and I mean everything.
I was not the only shopper grumbling that we couldn't find anything and even the staff said they hadn't got a clue either......... it can only get better.

It has been dry and bright but cold here in Yorkshire today. Not a lot of birds either. The young blackbird is missing and starlings few in number today too.
A few pigeons and a couple of collared doves and the thrush peeping from the shrubbery and that's it. See what tomorrow brings when the birdcake is there.

Hello Gang :-)
Glad you like the link , it's mostly updated weekly ( I think )

We have been watching a pair of Red Kites this afternoon, a lovely sight.

By the way you can all see my garden birds on Jude's blog, some on Ann's also I think.

That recipe I gave you can be put in any container, Ann or Jude have a photo of the containers I use, Pringles Crisps tubes are great, fill them up and firm down with a rolling pin, either cut a 2 x 1 inch window in them or cut the cardboard from round the pudding and place in a peanut net. You can buy buckets of fat balls, my birds did not like them a lot so I make my own, mix all the ingredients let it all cool then put a pair of rubber gloves on and form your own and put in freezer .

Shaun

Wonderful pics there Shaun :-D Thankyou.

No sign of the R** ,but now we have Baby Bunnies :-S :-S.Not good even though they look so sweet.
I haven't seen my Mrs Blackbird for a while now just Mr.I hope nothing bad has happened to her.Could she be sitting on eggs?

Vera lucky you winning a Hamper :-D I have never been that lucky with Raffles.I wonder what goodies are in it

What a change weatherise today.I think it is about 10degrees colder than yesterday :-S

Thank you for the link Shaun. Lovely pictures.

Thank you Shaun, I have made up the bird cake and its in the fridge. I'll let you know if it attracts the birds to my window feeder (fingers crossed!). I will look at your link, it is sure to be interesting.
I need to go shopping and stock up Mother Hubbard's cupboard so will be back later.