Hobbies and Crafts

We had a sunny morning but since then we have had showers and sun - more like April. :-) And the only birds I have seen are doves and sparrows.

The rain has just stopped here now we have bright sunshine and plenty of blackbirds looking for worms on the lawn :-D I say lawn but it actually looks more like a field because the grass is in desperate need of a cut.

Lesley x

Miserable and wet here as well. All I've seen this morning is the solitary bluetit. I'm not sure if there is just one that keeps coming or if there are several that come one at a time

Well it is dark and wet here this morning.It's pretty miserable.
I have only seen a few Blue Tits on the Peanut Ball so far.Which reminds me it is nearly empty and I have run out of nuts.Must add them to my list before I go out.

Very cold chilly wind this morning here in Yorkshire. The sort my Mum would call "pneumonia winds" that went through you and not around you. So far it is dry, but looks set to change quickly with big black rainclouds overhead.

Usual starlings, fat pigeons, doves but no young blackbird as yet. We seem to be short of hedge sparrows just lately, but we do have our regular Mr and Mrs Blackbird and thrush popping in and out of the shrubbery. Everyone is hungry and emptying the ground feeder and also the back garden feeders hanging in the tree very quickly!

No sign of the white pheasant today :-( next time I see him/her in the field out the back I will try and take a photograph from upstairs hopefully I wont startle the bird from up there and make it go further away like yesterday.

Yes Jane if our daughter does stay longer we will sort the insurance for her, she hasn't mailed me today so I don't know if has been able to change her flight for a minimal charge or not.

Lesley x

I have seen a lot of Goldfinch in one of our trees today :-D( I think they were Goldfinch).Have had a look in my 'book' and they look the same :-D.They were doing a lot of chattering :-D

You are definitely doing better than us Vera. I am wondering if the sparrow hawk has paid a visit when we didn't see it and that is why the small birds have deserted us. :-(

Have never seen a white pheasant either but in 2007 we had one in our garden that was black with a lighter coloured edge to the feathers where they overlapped. Sorry can't explain it very well but we had never seen one like it. OH took a photo and sent it to the RSPB for them to identify. They thought it had been specially bred for ornamental purposes for a zoo or aviary or similar and had either escaped or been set free.

Seen quite as lot of the blue tit today, it seems to like the peanuts. Also had a couple of starlings in the garden. We are beginning to get a few visitors to the feeders now so we haven't had to wait too long.

Lesley ,as you say they just don't think of the important things sometimes do they lol
I don't think you need to worry about the Malaria tabs .Will you have to sort out the extra insurance for her? I'm glad she is having a great time .Its a wonderful experience for her.

The male Pheasant has been this morning and a Moorhen :-D

I don't think I have ever seen a white pheasant either.Keep that camera handy :-D :-D

Lesley, daughter's don't need to think when they have Mums to do it for them.... perhaps it comes under the job description and is par for the course?
It sounds an amazing experience so she will have lots to tell you when she eventually gets home.

Like Ann, I have never seen a white pheasant, so lucky you and maybe it will come back to visit you so keep your camera handy.

I have googled the nyger seeds and different feeders. All interesting AND time consuming lol Time flies when I'm having fun, but jobs get left undone.

Starlings have come and almost emptied the window feeder so that's not good. We have lots of them but am I the only one who has the starlings in such great numbers?

Dry and bright weather so far here in Yorkshire, looks promising, but could all change like yesterday when I took my eye off the weather and it rained on my bedding and towels. Won't be doing that today!

No Ann I don't think the white pheasant is an albino but I'm 100% sure.

I'm sure our daughter will be able to get more malaria tablets in Thailand and probably much cheaper than in the UK...the annoying thing about her travel insurance is although she pays for yearly insurance it only covers trips up to 31 days and even more annoying she doesn't think...as I would have done at 23;-) :-D ;-)

Lesley x

I don't think I have heard of a white pheasant, would it be albino? I suspect it would be in danger as it is not camouflaged. Pity you couldn't get the photo Lesley.
Sounds as if your dughter is enjoying herself but it is a bit dodgy to run out of malaria tablts, can she get them there?

At lunch time today I saw a white pheasant in the field at the back of ours:-D I tried to take a photograph but the bird was so far off he/she just looked like a white blur in the picture:-(

Jane our daughter hasn't mentioned that she has had an elephant ride so I guess not, this week she is at the school doing voluntary work and yes she must be enjoying the whole experience of Thailand as she has said she is going to try and change her flight so she can stay longer :-0 not a thought that her travel insurance would have expired or that she would have run out of malaria tablets :-|

Lesley x

Nyger or thistle seed both look the same, tiny little black specks If you have ever seen thistle seeds blow off the thistles you will know what I mean. The feeders are metal and have tiny holes, they usually have nyger feeder written on the label.

No News on that front Kandj.So I am guessing they are still dry :-D(at least in doors).Not sure what the back garden is like though.I just hope her Tortoise Norman/a in his/her tank on the decking is ok.Hopefully he remains in hibernation and dry in his tank.

Oh no Jane. I'd like to think that you are kidding about yet another leak but obviously you won't be. You must be on the top of the plumbers list by now. What a shame and you have only just had the floor put down!

I don't have nyger seeds, are they like sunflower seeds Vera?

Turned cold and rained here when I took my eye off the weather and so my bedding and towels came inside wetter than when I put them out..... not happy about that but can't grumble with others flooded out of their homes. How is your niece now Jane?

Well today is the first since I don't know when that I haven't topped up the window feeder.It's looking a bit low so will do it now ready for the mornings breakfast :-D
It hasn't been too cold today and no wind so maybe the birds haven't felt the need to stuff themselves.

Kandj I love going to London to see Hannah.It is so easy fro here on the train and is just 1 hour to St Pancras.But I think as we will be going to her house this time we will go by car.OH will drive and I will be in charge of directions with the Sat Nav too lol

Leslie how is your daughter enjoying herself in Thailand? Where is she now?The time will go so fast for her.Is she going to get the chance to ride an Elephant? My son did and said he had the biggest, stroppiest one .All the others were very placid :-DBut he said it was an amazing experience.

Vera I have never had the Nyger Seeds.Do you need a special feeder for them?

Our shower is still leaking :-S :-S :-S...I think it is something to do with the tiles.
I'm trying to get OH to admit defeat with all his siliconing and get our plumber to have a look when he comes to change the tank in the airing cupboard.

Anyone watching Superstar Dogs on Channel 4? I'm loving it :-D

We fill up the feeders but rarely see the birds eat the seeds. We invariably don't get up until 9 as we stay talking so I am assuming they eat before we get up. We do see the doves and wood pigeons though. No goldfinches for a while, don't know where they have gone.

Have only seen a blue tit today but it has been raining a lot so the birds may not be feeding in the open very much. However we are having to top up the seeds and suet nibbles regularly so birds are beginning to find us. The suet cake that the blue tits like has been well nibbled. We've added some fat balls and peanuts, so I just want to get some nyger seeds now. I know the goldfinches like them.