Hobbies and Crafts

Not seen the little coloured bird again. I looked up Long Tail Tit Ann, but this isn't
the one I saw. It was more pinky coloured and the tail wasn't as long as a Long
Tail Tit. Very strange. I bet it won't come here again.


Here's hoping that the court have sorted out the papers to move these travellers on.
It must be a huge worry for your Brother ln Law Jane. I'm sure there will be lots of work
for him to do when they have finally left.

Are you sure that was not a long tailed tit Kandj?

Any news re the travellers Jane? There has been nothing in our local paper about it.

Oh Jane, that is terrible the gypsies have broken fencing and settled there.
Your Brother in law will be devastated after all his hard work over the months.
I do hope that none of the wildlife will be harmed. Some gypsy folk are a law
unto themselves and have no respect for anyone. Sadly, they give the other
decent travellers a bad name. I hope thy can be made to move on very soon.

I spotted what I initially thought was a small young Robin on the garden wall,
but it was slimmer than a Robin but it had a pink breast and cheeks but a long
tail...... I think it was a Chaffinch, but I could be wrong.

It is going through the court now Ann.Hopefully they will be turfed off the Nature Reserve very soon.

Well usually the police excuse no action with the fact there is no damage done. Surely they can't be allowed to get away with this. It is often around bank holidays when they move in.

I don't know who owns the land there Ann. I just know that there was funding of about £250,000 from somewhere to set up the reserve.I must ask my BIL.So much hard work has gone into the place ,including over 200 trees being planted ,mainly fruit trees.

Who owns the reserve Jane? I am not sure I know where it is. But how despicable. I hope the police can do something if they have caused damage.

Just spoke to my sister and she told me that gypsy/travellers arrived on the Nature Reserve that her OH runs in Tewkesbury. They arrived at 7 last night and cut through the chain fencing to get all the vans ,horses etc in. All signs have already been destroyed .Horses and carts have been racing around the reserve. My BIL was down there an hour or so ago to have a word and was told to f**k off !!!! .He has heard nothing back yet from the police.Children have been catapulting stones at people. I dread to think what will happen to the wild birds :-(
It makes me so angry when these people say everyone is against them and they get a bad name.But what do they expect when they behave like this!!! Blood boiling right now.All the hard work my BIL and others have put into making this Nature reserve a lovely place for local people and children to go .Now no-one will be able to go.

You can have our Vera. :-D

Glad you both enjoyed your few days in Hay Jane, the birds will be pleased that you have returned if your son forgot to top up the feeders.

Ann, my hubby has had reoccurring chest infections and coughs since January.
Hopefully a little warmer weather will make them both feel so much better.

Vera, the birds throwing the soil about are keeping you busy and out of mischief lol.

The Magpie has come back again, just the one like before. Very strange. I keep thinking of the rhyme "One for sorrow" and I'm desperately seeking another one.

Have a good Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow everyone.

Hi folk
Back already. We did have a lovely couple of days in Hay.Even managed to sit out at pavement cafe and the Hotel Garden in sunshine ! No coat on at all today it was so mild.
So we get home to find the Squirrel has turfed out a load of bark chippings from both my Olive tree pots. You should have seen the mess on the patio :-S.. The window feeder had not a crumb in it..Guessing my Son did NOT keep his promise to keep it filled. The birds are happy now and filling their tummies :-D
We were lucky to get home when we did as the BH traffic was beginning to get crazy.Thankfully most going in the opposite direction to us. :-)

If you are looking in Jane I hope you are enjoying Hay on Wye and that you are getting better weather than we have here.

It is so cold and we have had a day of heavy showers of sleet and hail. I had to go into town today to get a birthday present and the heavens opened when I was at the furthest point from the car. By the time I had got my umbrella out of my shopping bag and got it opened up I was soaked. Feels more like January than the end of April.

I hope your poor OH doesn't feel too bad Ann. With luck he won't pass his cough and cold on to you.

Not much happening bird-wise. I expect they are sensibly trying to keep warm and dry. I think the blackbirds must be feeding young ones as they keep throwing all the earth out of the beds onto the path as they hunt for food. I sweep it up and they throw it out again, I sweep up again, they toss it out again, I sweep........

Have a lovely break Jane. Don't think we will be going far, OH now has a cold and cough, that is three since Christmas goodness knows where he has caught this one.

Just popping in now to say I will be away for a few days now. Off to Hay on Wye.
Stocked up on Bird food today and instructions for Son to make sure he keeps the feeder topped up :-D :-D.I am sure I will be sending him texts just to remind him LOL

Vera, an early start for you, lovely sun here so far although a bit nippy, we have been round to the charity shop with two boxes of kitchen stuff surplus to our needs, including some of my Mum's china, we are now just off to Chepstow for lunch with friends, slumming it with my car today.

Garage is 90% certain that it is the starter motor althought can't be absolutely sure until the get the cover off. It will be £450 including the recovery and VAT. Not too bad we thought.

Glad you like the photos Kandj, we were taking some B&W photos for the project for our U3A photography group this month. I liked the trees too, they look spooky.

Bright and dry this morning and I have already cleaned the two bird baths and filled
up the feeders. Now we can sit with a cuppa and see which birds will show up today.

Ann, you do have a variety of interesting photographs on your blog. Clever girl you!
My favourites are the black and white tree walk and the one of Chesil beach.

I have seen on the General site that you are having car trouble. Fingers crossed that it won't be too expensive for you and OH. Cars are wonderful when they work but not so wonderful when they break down.

Jane, enjoy your time in Hay on Wye. Safe travels both ways.

Vera, join the club and continue practising to count up to 10 haha.

Only our usual starlings, sparrows, doves, thrush, pigeons and the robin which has shown up again and was following me as I hoed the borders and he/she enjoyed
finding the worms. Need to empty and clean out the two bird baths sometime today.

Ann, I must look at your latest holiday snaps on your photo blog.

Vera, the birds are entertaining you but costing you money in seeds too.

Jane, enjoy your next break, I hope the weather improves for you both then.

I'm here :-D :-D.. No gallivanting just yet . Off to Hay on Wye next week for a few days. There hasn't been too much to report bird wise .Other than the feeder emptying so quickly each day. Lot s of Woodpecker noises but not seen yet in the garden.

Vera ,hopefully all those fallen seeds will soon be snaffled up and no seeds start to grow !!!!

In the words of Victor Meldrew, I DON'T BELIEVE IT! I've seen everything now.

When I got up this morning I noticed the top of the bird seed feeder was hanging in the tree but the rest of it was on the ground underneath. I assumed I hadn't screwed it up properly, so had a little curse at myself and filled it and hung it up again.

I've just watched a heavy looking pigeon flutter up and grab hold of one of the perches and then swing his weight to the side until the bottom unlocked and fell to the ground and all the seeds emptied out. There is now the empty clear plastic tube and the top hanging from the tree and seeds everywhere underneath. OH will not be happy when some of the seeds germinate and we have all sorts growing in the bed

You have to admire their ingenuity though :-D

I wondered about Jane too. I hope she is OK. Fingers crossed that she is on her travels and enjoying herself somewhere.

Not seen Jane around she must be off gallivanting somewhere :-D