Hobbies and Crafts

Talking of Starlings??? did anyone read about the flock causing chaos somewhere in a Uk village road...they settle to roost in the hedges and by day do the their flying stunts....BUT the neighbours are fed up cause everywhere is covered in poo, people in the street get it in their hair, the amount of people coming to see them has caused a stir too....l'm telling you from memory..vic told me about it earlier, it was in paper or the news.
l'm in bed with a nasty bug been here since LAST THURSDAY, yep LAST THURSDAY, so thought l'd have alook at blog....can't log in its all changed so thought l'd find you lot.

AnnG ....l do hope your cold goes pdq...enjoy your hols and say hi to Uzzi:))
Hello everyone:)
back to sleep for me xx

jude xx

Kandj,I hate rats, but we have been used to seeing the odd few over the years living here.I used to blame next door having chickens .But just living surrounded with very long gardens and fields I suppose they are inevitable .I might have to move the peanut ball and coconut further down the garden if ratty still visits,Then if it gets really bad I would have to get rid of my window feeder :-S :-S (Now that is something I really would not want to do) But we will just wait and see :-D

Oh goodness Jane. I would be leaving home if we had a rat, uugghh

I don't like mice and keep putting peppermint oil inside our garage as I was told mice don't like the smell. I think that we must have the best smelling garage around lol..

I haven't noticed any nest gathering going on yet Ann ,but I imagine they will be doing that now.
It is quite late and the window feeder is still really busy.It looks like it is almost empty once more.
The little Vole has been haring about on the patio.It looks so funny as you can't see its feet.It's almost as if it is on hidden wheels lol
Also OH spotted a Rat :-S :-S.It came out from under the Summerhouse.I'm not too happy about that as it is a bit too near the house for my liking .

Is your cough and sneezes any better this evening Ann? I am sneezing my head off at he moment ,but I don't think it is a cold.It's more likely the dusty stuff that blows off the Pines.Time to get the Antihistamines in . :-|.I never used to need them but over the last few years I find I can't be without them.Even certain flowers and smells affect me now :-S :-S,and yet my Sister who used to suffer from Hayfever really badly and even had to have inhalers seems to have grown out of it.

Lesley I hope today went off ok .It sounded like you were very fond of your cousin and will miss him :-(

Now I am trying to think of what to have to eat tonight with my son.OH was out for lunch so needs nothing.It will be something quick and very easy :-D
Since I started typing this the birds have vanished ....BUT my son says as he was stood on the back doorstep having a ciggie he saw Ratty 3 times criss crossing the Patio ! Oh dear :-| :-|

Mainly starlings and pigeons here today, they don't seem to mind the rain. the starlings seem to be very fond of the giant fat ball.

Oh and Mum blackbird was gathering nesting material this morning.

Lesley, several years ago I went to what was termed as a Green Funeral service for my son in laws elderly Grandmother. We all agreed the peace and tranquility in the woodland area was comforting and one where Grandma would Rest In Peace.
I hope that you and your family will experience the same feelings today.

We have had FOG here first thing this morning! I have put some washing on the clothes line but I will be very surprised if they dry today.... ever the eternal optimist me.

Morning All

Lesley what a sad day for you today.But I have to say it does look a lovely setting with all the trees and wild flowers.I hope the rain holds off for you <3

Ann your cold is dragging on :-S Fingers crossed that by the end of the weekend you will have shaken it off and will be fighting fit and ready for your holiday. :-D
I'm just off to the garden centre now.(There is a very chunky Robin peering at me through the middle of the feeder lol)

Still feeling rough and at the stage of thinking this cough will never go. I only feel rough because the coughing and sneezing wears me out, otherwise I am ok.

I think Jude, who pops in here sometimes, used to make her own fat balls/cake.

I hope the funeral goes as well as these things can Lesley, sad to lose family members but that sounds a good place for a last rest.

Around here cats set off the security lights, and foxes.

Sorry to hear you are feeling unwell Ann, I hope you soon feel much better.

kandj perhaps the fussy Yorkshire birds will prefer home cooking :-D you must let us know how you get on if you make your own fat balls/cakes...I didn't see what was on the prowl the other evening, we don't have any street lights so unless what ever set the security light of froze with fear where the light shines I wouldn't be able to see anything, unless there was a full moon.

Jane I'll swap your vole for my moles.

I hope you are enjoying having your family to stay Vera.

Sadly tomorrow I am going to the funeral of my dear cousin Colin :-( <3 I haven't been to a funeral here before http://greenacreswoodlandburials.co.uk/park/colney/ but by looking at the pictures I am sure this is the perfect place for Colin to be laid to rest.<3

Lesley x

Noooo, The thought of the vole makes me cringe and shudder Jane, keep it in your garden please because you are right I would hate to have it here.

It has been a cold windy day with rain this afternoon too. I went into the village to buy some lard to make the bird seedcake but they don't have it. I will have to buy some in town at the weekend. I must put it on my shopping list or I will forget all about it.
The fat ball is still untouched so I will see if my fussy birds can be tempted to eat mine.

Mr Blackbird has been watching his wife all these weeks on the feeder and now he is visiting my window many times a day :-D :-D.See us girls can teach the men a few things :-D.He is pretty big and takes up the whole feeder just like Mrs.(or Big Girl )as I call her.
We have a resident Vole(i think it's a Vole and I think it lives under the Summerhouse.It has spent a lot of time this afternoon running back and forth picking up the bits of Peanuts that fall when the Blue Tits are feeding on the ball.It is quite amusing to watch it.
Kandj, you would hate it lol.But is sooooo sweet :-D

plenty of starlings in today eating bread and the coconut and also the giant fat ball I got half price at the garden centre last week. We also had a black cao on the coconut and a blue tit flying in and out plus the large wood pigeon hanging off the seed feeder. Might have been others but we were out from just after 0930 until 1pm.

Hope your cough and cold soon clears up Ann. Your sunny break will do you good.

Glad that you are sorted out with a new tank and the heating is on for you now Jane.

Enjoy special time with your family Vera, three granddaughters will keep you amused.

Lesley,I am going to google the ingredients and method to make a birdseed cake because the birds here don't like the shop bought ones. Too fussy by far lol.

Hope your cold improves quickly Ann so that you can really enjoy your time away. Glad to hear you are finally leak free Jane.

Nothing new bird-wise today. The blue tit is now coming regularly to the suet cake and the robin still pops in and out of the ground feeder. Otherwise it has just been a couple of starlings and a couple of pigeons. It's strange that none of the birds seems to be going for the fat balls.

I may not be on here much over the next few days as son and his three daughters and his partner are coming tomorrow to stay for a few days. As I haven't seen the girls for 6 months I will be making the most of my time with them. But I will still be topping up the feeders and keeping an eye on what's coming in to the garden.

Oh Ann that will be lovely :-D.Lets hope that cold runs it's course speedily and drys up in time.
We have a completely cloud free sky here .A cold night maybe.It is is weird having such hot radiators now.I keep turning everything down.It just shows how bad it was before (for the last 20 odd years :-S.I bet our gas bill will go down a bit now :-D :-D
Now that will be a bonus.It is so nice not to have any workmen here.Plumber came back at lunchtime to check the shower.He made a bit of adjustment to one of the feet under the tray again,and reckons it should all be hunky dory now.I hope he is right :-D

And now the cough has developed into a stinking cold, first one for about 2 years, goodness knows where I caught it.
We are going to Spain we are staying in a flat owned by Uzzi in Spain and her OH. Not been to the area before so it will be a change from Tenerife which we know so well.

Ann I hope that cough won't be too troublesome.Some are devils for hang in on for weeks.Are you going somewhere nice?
The Red Kite is busy overhead looking for its supper.Once again today I haven't noticed too much on the bird front as I have been glued to my laptop doing a bit of research.I don't do much ,but once I get into it I can't stop and instead of just trying to trace one or two people I find myself having a look at everyone in the whole blooming tree.Then my mind gets all muddled up as so many have the same name :-S

It has been a lovely day with lots of sunshine.All my towels have dried on the line :-D
OH is trying to put shelving back in the airing cupboard .Not so easy to do as the new tank is a different shape to the old one and different size too.I can hear a lot of banging and bumping going on above my head.....I shall just stay well out of the way :-D

I can see the 2 Long Tailed Tits on the feeder now,but the camera is way out of reach :-S

Suddenly had a lot of activity around 2.15. Two Goldfinches, a green finch (might have been 2), great tit, blue tit, chaffinch and a flock of starlings plus one collard dove who looked bemused at so many birds on her/his feeders.

Just been out and topped up the seed feeder that is the staple diet of the collard doves. Also shooed a magpie out of the garden, beautiful majestic birds but I don't want to encourage them because they go after the eggs and fledglings. Just had a blackbird and Great tits in the garden so far today.

Lovely sunny morning, I have a load of washing hanging out so I hope it stays that way. Had a mad moment and washed off the outsides of two wheelie bins that had been spattered by birds. Then had an even madder moment and washed the window and door sills outside. It was in the shade and very cold. OH has gone to golf. My sore throat has turned into a cough which is annoying. I am hoping it doesn't hang around long as we go away next week.

A really Springlike morning here in Yorkshire. Snowdrops, crocus and a couple of February Gold daffs in bloom with others in bud, a lovely sight to see.

The young blackbird has been to the window feeder several times already this morning. He is perfect at landing on the gripper and seems to be used to the mealworm suet pellets (thank goodness).

Vera I agree the starlings need to be fed but I get cross seeing them so argumentative and greedy!

Lesley, you read my mind ha ha. I might try to make the birdcake but knowing my lot of birds they will probably ignore it! What was the prowler last night?

Jane it's good to know that all leaks are sorted and you have a warm house again.

Too wet to attempt to cut our grass Ann but there are lots of weeds in borders needing attention.

Graham, we also have the occasional bird who bangs into the window but thankfully nothing too alarming as they fly off again. Good job, because I couldn't pick them up....... cos I am a wuss!!