Hobbies and Crafts

The same thing happened to 'our blackbird Magpie. He used to feed off a saucer outside the lounge window when we put mealy worms out. He'd come when we shook the bag. We went away for a week the end of august and he has not been seen since. :-(

Maybe it's our Robin Vera?!!!! Rather a long way for him to have strayed from Wiltshire!! I wouldn't mind at all if I just knew that he was safe, but I have a nasty feeling that he's not and that we won't be seeing him again! :-(

Frogs only really need water at mating time. They are fine in shade, particularly damp shade. Having said that, they must have been in someone’s pond or a river at the tadpole stage. I never knew where our first one came from. None of our neighbours have ponds. We do have a river but it is about a quarter of a mile away.

Our sparrows are back with a vengeance but we are not seeing much else, except a little robin who is only ever here with the sparrows. I am sure he thinks he is a sparrow :-D. He flies in with them, lines up with them on the fence and then flies away with them.

Thanks AnneG, we'll get on and do that. I have noticed that we have a few little frogs/toads in the undergrowth! We've no pond or water ditches so wonder where they've come from?!!

I expect your robin just went off because you weren't there to give him tidbits. He might be back or he may have found another source of food. good though that your other birds are around.

Yes, I think i would clean out the birdbox ready for spring my OH has just done ours.

Hello Everyone! Just an update on our Robin! We have just come back from a wedding in Austria, which was just fabulous very traditional (national dress) and rural, with the civic ceremony (obligatory in Austria)during the previous week, and a church blessing on Sunday which is optional, but which the young couple were serious about. (you have to be else the clergy won't do it!!) Then a home reception that was open house for the whole village and lasted, after the church blessing, all day on Sunday!! So much hospitality and friendship, Fantastic! Anyhow, back to the Robin who sadly I haven't seen since we've been home! Whether he has been chased off or met with an accident :-( it's impossible to say, any thoughts?!! Also I was wondering whether we should clean out the bird box that the blue tits have used this summer? I have googled it but perhaps someone on here has an opinion? The bluetits are thankfully, flourishing!!! along with the little JennyWren and Hedgesparrow! Oh, and we saw the Woodpecker yesterday :-D but I am worried about my little Robin!!
Very many condolences to kadji - I'm so very sorry to hear such sad news. <3

I wondered why Kandj wasn't on the garden thread. Thinking of you Kandj <3

Poor Kandj. As you say, Jane, she has had more than her fair share of stress and sorrow over the last couple of years. I have also been thinking about her all day as Cynthia mentioned her latest sadness on the Christian thread. She has a strong faith and I hope that will sustain her. Thinking of you Kandj <3 <3 <3

Oh Vera the poor cat ! . I think it quite unusual for a fox to go for a cat. But thank goodness puss is ok even though costing your inlaws a big bill. I know we have lots of foxes around here especially in neighbours gardens .Their gardens are much longer than ours and go right down to a field at the back .Our garden is shorter and I think having it all fenced in probably prevents the foxes getting in here. I do worry about Thomas though when he is out all night. But touch wood he has been fine and only comed back covered in sticky seeds and last night thistles all stuck in his tail !!. Being such a big bushy tail it was quite a job to try and brush out the thistles. One of my hands is covered in scratches . Not from the thistles but the cats claws :-S He does not approve of me attacking his tail with a brush .

I keep thinking about Kandj.She has had far more than her fair share of sadness and bereavements :-( It just seems so unfair :-S

Thank you Jane, aaw just as she was starting to do her garden and sounding as if she was beginning to cope. Poor Kandj, sending her some loving thoughts. The problems with getting older and friends and family too. <3 <3

Kandj has asked me to just let you all know that due to really sad times again for her she will not be posting for a while . Her eldest Sister was only diagnosed with Bowel Cancer just 3 weeks ago and is sadly now near the end . Poor Kandj has lost so many close family members in just the last year or so. This latest news about her Sister has really shaken her .
Much love Kandj <3 <3

Very few birds around here at the moment but we spent the weekend with OH's sister and her husband in Surrey and her small garden was full of different birds - chaffinch, blue and great tits, robin, magpie and a greater spotted woodpecker. The one bird they don't see is the sparrow. I think that's because they all live here with us

We also saw several squirrels in her garden and she tells me she is currently trying to make it fox-proof as they get in and churn up her lawn and one of them attacked her very small and elderly cat. The cat escaped and got indoors but with a bit of a hole in her side. Thankfully she has recovered but sil was landed with a fairly hefty vet's bill.

Jane I am sure you are going to enjoy your daughter's wedding. This latest was our daughter's third and probably the most emotive as we all remembered both previous spouses. Daughter and husband are in Croatia, they were in dubrovnic and are now on an island called Korcula.

We are getting quite a few blue tits now and yesterday had a visit from a coal tit, I think it may be that there is not much out in the fields now. We do get a robin as well and lots of sparrows, a couple each of wood pigeons and collard doves but haven't seen a blackbird for ages.

Yes Ann I was in France then . I am so glad it was a lovely day for the Happy Couple.
I am sure they will be still enjoying their Honeymoon (wherever they might be now) :-D
It is just about 10 weeks now before my Daughter gets married :-D I am so excited .
Her Honeymoon will be in Sri Lanka. She is the last of her friends to be married .They all seem to be having babies now. I am still hoping I may become a Grandma :-D
Not much to report again on the birds other than the Woodpidgeons. I think one must have hit the kitchen window the other day as there is the Ghostly Pattern of the wings.
It must have been ok though as there was no body :-D

I think you may have been away Jane they got married on 31 August it was a lovely day the three little ones were so good and so cute and they are both very happy to have found each other.

Ann your Daughter and Husband will be having a wonderful time in Dubrovnik and wherever they move on to next. My Daughter went a few years ago and said it was just brilliant :-D.. I must have missed you saying about the wedding and honeymoon.
Congratulations to the Happy Couple <3

The cat is out on a big hunting spree :-S I just can't keep him in at the moment . He did pop in for a few minutes earlier after over 24hrs of being gone ,but has now taken himself off again. I shall not be staying up trying to get him in again tonight.I did that last night and that was a waste of my beauty sleep :-D .2 Dead Rats on the Patio this morning :-S I wonder what I might find in the morning.

Obviously she is a good sailor then, I I think a rocking boat and fishy smell is not my scene but I hope she is enjoying it. Our daughter and husband are on their honeymoon trip and are in Dubrovnik for a week before moving on to another area. They went on a boat trip today too and said the sea was flat and there was no wind it was warm and sunny. I can do that! :-D

Back to normal now home again Ann :-D Washing and food shopping :-D :-D. It will soon feel like you have never been away !!
Yes weren't they lucky to have seen the Seals and the Porpoise. Today it was Mackerel fishing!!!! I can't imagine my daughter enjoying that . BUT she caught 2 :-0
It was a fishing trip so fish caught were dealt with by the boatmen .

We have just got home this evening. Flight was on time and we cleared passport control quickly and amazingly the luggage was off quickly as well. Tomorrow will be washing and shopping for food. Not seen the garden as it is dark but our neighbour says there is no damage.

No we didn’t see anything like that either Jane so they are lucky.

Aww, Jane, how lovely for your daughter and partner. We never saw anything like that either when we were in Pembrokeshire.

I don’t know what is happening with our sparrows. They used to wolf down the seeds as soon as I put them out. Now they are ignoring them but getting through the fat balls at a rate of knots. They line up on the fence to take turns at them, two or three at a time. I haven’t changed the type of seeds or balls that I buy so I don’t know why they are now eating one and ignoring the other.

Not much else around except for one great tit and one robin.