Hobbies and Crafts

Our garage doesn't appear to badly damaged just a few ridge tiles and slates broken from were the tree hit first.

Strange how we keep hearing sparrows are on the decline yet we all seem to have plenty visit our gardens.

Jane I'm in Essex on the outskirts of Colchester, I too hate shooting season unfortunately my MOG (miserable old g-t) and our youngest daughter love it.
:-| :-| :-|

Lesley x

Funny you should be mentioning Sparrows.I have seen more here in the last couple of days since I don't know when.
Oh Lesley it sounds like you suffered badly with that storm .Where are you in the country ?I hate the shooting season.We often see a Land Rover or some Four Wheeled vehicle with a roofed trailer dropping off men with guns just down the road,who then go marching off over the fields with their dogs :-S :-S.
I don't like it :-| :-|

Lesley, so sorry that you suffered storm damage and also that the birds did too. We were very lucky there. Did the tree do much damage to the garage?

Strangely enough yesterday afternoon 2 sparrows visited the feeders so maybe they are venturing back. Hope so anyway. :-)

We and some of our resident birds suffered in yesterdays storm, we had birds nests strewn across the lawn and the fir tree that a pheasant roosts in came down on our garage, the pheasant was ok though I saw him sitting on the wall late yesterday morning after the storm:-D

How strange Ann that some birds have returned to your garden but not the sparrows:-S

kandj I like the idea of using peppermint oil to repel spiders, it could also double up as a room freshener:-)

Sadly this coming weekend is our turn for game shooting:-( I hope the covey grey leg partridge take cover.

Lesley x

Strangely it doesn't seem to have affected the collard doves or the wood pigeon or even the great and blue tits but haven't seen a sparrow since and we had loads.

Ann ,they have probably gone next door :-D.I'm sure they will be back soon.I had the same here a few years ago when Murder was committed in the middle of our lawn :-(
I won't go into details but it wasn't a pleasant sight ,and then have to dispose of the 'body' :-| :-| (it was a Wood Pidgeon)It took a little while for all the little birds to feel safe again.

Still not got many birds. This happened the last time a sparrow hawk landed in the garden a couple of years ago.

Now I love the smell of peppermint .I might give that a go :-D.I found one very shrivelled up conker today left over from last winter.It was hardly recognisable as a Conker lol .
It was so funny seeing my Sister running out of the loo pulling her trousers up and screeching .

I just realised today I have gone through a 500g bag of berry flavoured fat sticks in the last 3 days!!!!.This is just in a window feeder .I just can't believe how fast it goes.The birds just pick one bit up at a time and fly off.I think i will have to start buying in bulk !!

Jane, what a shame that you have missed out on the conkers this year.
My neighbour tells me that she keeps spiders away by using cotton wool soaked in peppermint oil dotted on the windowsills...... perhaps it could work for you and save your sister from being frightened on her next visit.

Lesley,I have seen quite a few Ladybirds in the last week or 2.Mainly on the windows.
The Tits,Robins,Finches are still eating the Fat Sticks like crazy,and the Green Woodpecker is a frequent visitor at the moment.

I never did get any conkers :-| and there are some humungous spiders hiding around my house.My Sister came to visit on Tuesday and she used the downstairs loo.I heard a big shriek and she came haring out saying there was the biggest black spider in there.I think her screams must have frightened it off as it had vanished by the time my OH went in to deal with it.................It must still be in there somewhere :-S

:-D the school my children attended when we lived in Lydney, I worked there for 3 years as a lunch time supervisor 73 to 76 and was secretary of the PTA all that time too, although it was called Whitecross School then. Didn't see any wildlife when I was there except teenage boys :-D

Did anyone hear about the false widow spider on this evenings news?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-24623652

Lesley x

We still haven't regained our birds after the visitation of the sparrow hawk, just a few collard doves and great/blue tits around.

I have noticed ladybirds hibernating in the crevices of the double glazed window frames ............................... conkers don't deter them :-D

Lesley x

I did notice on a thread on gen chat that Chris in Wessex had a lot of ladybirds some time last week. It is quite mild for the time of year so maybe that is why they are venturing out. :-)

Not been on here lately, but wanted to mention that today around 2pm when it was raining slightly (after several downpours) I saw a ladybird on my brick wall in the front garden when I was coming home .

I have no plants in the garden, just a lot of fallen leaves from the trees outside.

I hope that it found somewhere sheltered.

Lesley.We have never yet managed to get a Hazelnut from our tree.The Squirrels always get there first.We just find all the bits left behind :-S
I have been away today taking Daughter back to St Albans.While I was gone OH said we had the biggest Pheasant he has ever seen in the garden.I wish he had taken a pic of it.The Pheasant will be taking shelter from shooting :-S :-S

No I haven't looked on line, we usually wait until we see special offers but I will look on line in future.

When it stopped raining this afternoon I went and picked up half a carrier bag full of conkers and a paper bag full of chestnuts, if you are going conker hunting don't forget your gloves like I did.

kandj I read I think on GR that conkers are also supposed to keep moths away ... lets hope so.

Jane our squirrels are still beating me to our walnuts.

Ann have you looked on-line for bird feed it is often a lot cheaper.

Lesley x

A real banquet for your feathered friends then Ann.

We have 2 huge horse chestnut trees in our local churchyard but when I went yesterday it was clear that the squirrels had been busy eating the conkers..... I did manage to get about 8 and so plan to put them in the corners of the lounge and bedroom. I hadn't thought of the airing cupboard and so will try to salvage another couple of conkers tomorrow (if I am lucky?!), I hope the false widow spider stays away from Yorkshire.