Hobbies and Crafts

Lesley, I am ever the eternal optimist but just wonder why we have no birds interested in the window feeder. It has been in place since 19th December....???
Perhaps tomorrow will be different. We have decided to keep it there until the end of this month and hope our very fussy little birds will make use of it.

Jane the birds definitely were jostling for space and food towards the end of the clip:-D I think dawn and dusk are always busy time for feeding.

Don't give up on your feeder kandj I'm sure when the birds find it you will hours of fun watching them:-)

I hope your staying warm and dry in Cumbria Ann and enjoying seeing your family.

Lesley x

What a dark afternoon it is :-S..I think the rain must be on its way.
Lesley I am unable to count how many birds too.Yes Chaffinch and Greenfinch(I think Green).I don't think there were any Gt Tits on the feeder in that clip.It all got a bit spiteful near the end bit .
They are getting like again now.It is that time of afternoon.

Touch wood we are all dry and no more leaks(until the next one :-S) :-D

I've just watched another good episode of Hidden Kingdoms:-)

Thank you for the picture and video clip Jane, I had seen Mrs Blackbird on Ann's blog, again I amazed at how many birds you have use your feeder, I watched the video 3 times and couldn't keep count of how many birds there were :-S apart from blue tits were the other birds chaffinches and greenfinches?

Good Luck with man from the gas board.

Lesley x

Oh No! Not another leak Jane, you must be really cheesed off.

Lesley, I am more than happy to have any little birds from you and Jane. (still none visiting our window feeder). Unbelievable, but I kid you not.

Rain here most of the day as predicted, lots of starlings and wood pigeons and doves.

The blackbirds and thrushes loved the chopped apple that I put on the tray from the window feeder. Interesting to see the activity on the lawn today.

Ann, I hope that you have had less rain in Cumbria today and are enjoying your break with your family.

Lesley I have another clip from today with a bit of squabbling going on lol.There were so many coming and going I couldn't even keep count.It was crazy.

We have British Ga* chap here now sorting out that problem from last night and also doing the yearly service......I want my dinner !!!!.I just couldn't eat last night and ended up having a Banana .So I'm drooling now as I can smell dinner which is all ready but keeping warm until he goes.

Oh Stinky Fox Poo
If I let my dog off the lead he would find the first bit of that and do a lovely roll in it.Especially around his neck area which involved the collar :-S :-S.I remember driving home from the park with windows down and me gagging like mad desperately trying not to be sick.Then trying to get him up the stairs without touching any paintwork into the shower....I loved that dog but am so happy I don't have to go through all that anymore. :-D
Bed time for me now.Been a stressful day ...Another Leak .Plumber out tonight and British Ga* booked now for tomorrow.!!!

Jane thank you for the video, you really shouldn't have worried about it tonight:-| ;-) I think you have more blue tits than me so maybe we could both shoo some off to Yorkshire :-D

kandj at last our barometer is moving away from rain :-D

I will show MOG's uncle your video clip at the weekend.
Lesley x

Really mild here today and quite pleasant tidying up the garden, very different to yesterday when it was bitterly cold. Rain is forecast for the next couple of days.
That will put an end to my gardening efforts!

We get foxes in our garden:-| not that we see them but we do see their stinky poo:-( I think the rural fox is still timid were as the urban fox seem to be very brave and almost unafraid of humans.

It's felt cold in my corner of Essex today and again we have had rain :-(

Lesley x

Ann I actually went out without a coat on this afternoon.I think people thought I was nuts lol.But it was sunny and really hot at 8degrees ;-).
There are some great farm shop places up where you are .I know when we were on holiday I came back home with a load of lovely things (meat ) to pop in the freezer :-D

It really seems to have been a lot quieter today with the birds.I have had the usual visitors on the feeder but not quite as crazy.
Kandj ,glad you liked the pics .I'm just sorry you aren't able to enjoy the same with that window feeder .My OH says I am becoming obsessed .He keep finding me standing behind the curtain with the camera lol.

You say it is not so cold today where you are Jane, it is really cold here in Cumbria and wet wet wet! :-) just been out to a farm shop complex, then a garden centre for lunch and then to the Colony shop, rained most of the day but not raining now.

Plenty of starlings and gulls, hungry as ever. A couple of magpies, a few thrushes and collard doves plus Mr and Mrs Blackbird who use our thick border shrubs as their home. They really are quite tame and came very close yesterday when I was clearing fallen leaves from the front garden border. I hoed a small section and they found worms

Still no little birds around and a full but ignored window feeder yet again this morning.
Many thanks Jane for the lovely bird photo's. Just a delight to see, and so hubby and I have now decided to wait until the end of the month and keep hoping that we also will be entertained by the birds antics by then.

That is one animal I have never seen in our garden.I know they are around and I think my neighbour at the bottom of our road has a Fox home (is it a lair?) at the bottom of his garden.I remember him saying that a couple of years ago he used to see the little cubs playing .Ahhh :-) Sadly though I have seen several foxes and Badgers that have been killed on this road :-(.

There don't seem to be quite so many birds about this morning.I wonder if it is because it isn't so cold this morning.Or maybe their little tummies are full from the last couple of crazy days of feeding !!!

We watched the Winterwatch this evening and I didn't like the mouse or the dormouse either but was fascinated by the foxes, the buzzard and the Jays and also the great tits inside the wire enclosure. All really very interesting viewing.

Last Summer we had a fox in our back garden!

I watched through the back bedroom window. I thought it was a dog with a bushy tail. It climbed on to the waterbutt and tried to climb up on to the brick wall but couldn't manage it.
It was only when the fox turned around and jumped down onto the ground that I could see the white chest and pointed nose, which was obviously a fox and not a dog. It looked very timid and walked up the garden path and down the drive.
I dashed into the lounge to tell hubby to see the fox, but it was too quick (or I was too slow) and the fox had disappeared never to be seen by me again.

Gawd no Kandj.It was just a birthday present from his girlfriend..Mind you he needs a job ,but can't see him as a pilot somehow.Poor lad got a great degree had a job but was made redundant and has been unemployed for 12 months .Hence why he is still here !!.I have him and OH who has just retired .So no time to myself anymore :-S :-S
I got a nice little bit of video clip on my phone of the feeder and visitors today .If you would like to see it just PM me your email and ~I will forward it.

Jane, that sounds an amazing experience. Is your son thinking of becoming a pilot?

We watched the Winterwatch programme last night but I had a phone call and so missed the suggestion of feeding the birds with seeds/cheese and then apple on separate days, so thanks for the link. It is interesting but as I have NO BIRDS to record as yet, there has to be a minor miracle for me to take part.

Lesley, yes please, I would be mega grateful for any little birds sent to me haha.

The only birds I've seen today are blue tits and more blue tits :-S shooing some northwards to Yorkshire for kandj :-)

I hope you are enjoying stay in Cumbria Ann. x

Jane probably about 15 years ago or maybe longer I had a flying lesson, MOG thought I would enjoy the experience :-S I was fine going up and flying over the Essex countryside :-D but when it came to landing I thought I going to be sick and went a little green I think...at the time my cousin was running the club bar and when I walked into the bar to meet MOG my cousin laughed so much at how I looked...I've never forgiven him ;-) I'm pleased your sons experience was far better than mine. :-)

Lesley x

Kandj I am so fed up with the leaks and floods we have had here over the last 2/3 years.I panic if I hear a strange drip now lol.Hopefully all sorted now.(fingers crossed)

Yes my son is home and really enjoyed his flight.He said that he could see the Peak District with the fog .But he had completely blue sky and no wind .Said it was amazing.
:-D
Have you seen Winter watch?There is a little survey they want people to do with the birds and feeders :-D :-D...I'm not pulling your leg.It might be worth you trying it just to see if anything happens.
if you didn't see the programme it is bbc.co.uk/winterwatch and you can see what you have to do.I will try and do it if i am at home at the right times.

Oh dear me, not another leak Jane? Hope everything is all sorted out now for you.

Did your son enjoy his flying lesson and get back home safe and sound now?

It has turned cold again so I hope Ann is wrapped up warm and enjoying time with her family. There certainly is no shortage of birds in Cumbria.(Still no interest here!).