Hobbies and Crafts

Oh dear Kandj, that must be very sore. Sending you a very, very gentle hug <3

Ooh Kandj that is what I had over Christmas and New Year, mine lasted over 3 weeks. OH has had a cough but nowhere near as bad as mine was, he's had his almost 2 weeks now he had a cold as well.

Vera, It must be sad to remember your lovely garden. I think this is my favourite garden of all we have had, although it is not the largest.

Not a very nice day here, damp this morning and from 12 o'clock it rained hard. OH was playing golf so was unable to go to U3A or, of course take me. He had my car but I had decided to go on the bus (four stops that is all) because we have had roadworks on the main crossroads we all need to traverse. So I had a 15 minute wait in the rain (no shelter at that stop) for the bus that was caught in the traffic jam for temporary lights. It should have been a good talk today, about the Cotswolds but the speaker, despite being told our talks need to be no longer than 40 minutes went on for almost an hour and then had to be stopped. I guess he would still be there now if not stopped. Everyone was fidgetting. (The chairs are not that comfortable) and losing interest towards the end. T arrived after he'd finished to take me home. Although he did manage to get a cup of tea as they were still serving. :-) :-)

This morning started out with some sunshine but then it quickly clouded over.

The usual hungry birds here. Several greedy starling knocked the window feeder
and all suet pellets on to the floor. Not what I wanted but I have refilled it again and swept the paving underneath.

I have had the most awful cough for the last 10 days and have managed to pull my right side with constant coughing. I am trying not to cough as it is very painful
but that's not working very well right now. Roll on Spring time, is what I say!

How lovely to have a goldcrest in the garden. Goldcrests and firecrests are tiny. One day when we were living at our old house we came home to find two dead on the patio and I thought they were baby birds until OH picked them up and we got a proper look at them. I think they had flown into the window :-(

We also used to get jays and they are very pretty birds as well.

I do keep going on about our old house don't I. I don't miss the house but I do miss the variety of birds and wildlife - all except the muntjacs. They will eat almost any plant material and seemed very fond of roses and OH's prize actinidia. After nursing it back to life a couple of times after the muntjacs had chewed through the stems, he gave up and let it go.

Funny you should mention starlings Ann as I've noticed them back in large numbers again just over the last couple of days.

Had some snow flurries this morning and now it is horrible cold, sleety rain. Ugh!

Wonder if that is the reason Vera, sounds possible doesn't it?

Jane, you are getting a lovely close up view of the long tails, have you tried getting a photo?

LG, How lovely to see a Jay in your garden, never saw any when we lived in that area and have never seen any here either.

Von, A Goldcrest We actually had one in this area about 3 years ago but not seen one since, smaller than a goldfinch isn't it?

We had a very busy busy little wren pecking away on our patio this morning although there is no food out there and I can't for the life of me work out what it could be eating. OH thought there were maybe seeds that have fallen from the pot plants. it was very sweet. We do seem to have gained a lot of starlings again and the blackbirds have decimated a cut in half apple, one off our tree past its best now, and a rotten pear.

Long time since I have posted but yesterday I watched a little gold crest moving it's way up and down our Christmas tree that is in a pot outside. :-D

I've not seen one before and thought it was a gold finch but today checked our bird book and discovered that it is indeed a gold crest.
[t also fed on the bird feeder so hope it will be a regular visitor. :-D :-D :-D

<3 <3 <3 to Kandj

I was really thrilled yesterday as I had a Jay picking at the fruit I put out. I have not seen one for ages :-D

You are lucky to see so many goldfinches Ann. I have niger seeds out but only see a goldfinch on them on rare occasions.

We were out for a good part of the day and when we got back the old seed feeder I put back up yesterday was completely empty and there was a sparrow one side and a blue tit the other, trying to peck up the last few seeds, while a robin was on the ground underneath ready to catch anything that fell.

I took the new feeder to bits when I brought it in yesterday to clean it. I thought I might be able to work out why the birds don't seem happy with it. The only thing I can think is that, to get at the seeds, they have to put their head in a little opening and I wondered if their vision is obstructed so they don't feel safe.

You're right about the cold Jane. There was an icy wind while we were out and it's getting colder by the minute. It'll be back to de-icing the bird bath again tomorrow :-(

The Long Tailed Tits are back here on the window feeder :-D :-D.They are such lovely little birds.
Getting colder by the minute now :-S

Yesterday afternoon we had six Goldfinches on the Niger seeds and a large number of starlings on the coconut and fat balls. OH also spotted just one Long Tailed Tit and a Black cap.

Yes good idea to put both feeders together and see what happens Vera.

Condolences to Kandj and her OH on their bereavement. Hugs Kandj.

How strange Vera.At least the birds are coming back now with the old feeder up. Good idea though to put the new one up next to the old one :-D.It might just work :-D.Fingers crossed.
I noticed lots of scratchy looking marks on my window ..Squirrel visiting the window feeder :-S :-S.This hasn't happened for ages.I know there is a Squirrel about as I have seen it lots of times ,and I think it has also dug out the little spring bulbs from one of the pots on the patio :-S

Thinking of Kandj and her OH ,as they have had a bereavement in the family <3 <3

Well, after a good three weeks of hanging there being ignored, I decided to take the new seed feeder down and put the old one back just to see what would happen. The sparrows were on it within minutes and it is already half empty. I wonder what they didn't like about the new one :-S. It's a very similar design to the old one but a bit sturdier and with a green top and base instead of black.

Perhaps I'll try hanging them both out in the same place and see if they eventually get used to the new one.

The birds are getting very vocal early mornings and early evenings now. The Blackbirds this evening were really going at it !!

'Our' blutita and great tits will only eat sunflower seeds and mealy worms Vera :-D

Hallo Christina. As Ann said, it is nice to "see" someone else on the thread.

Still nothing going for my new seed feeder. I have seen one bluetit land on the perch, look at the seeds and fly away again.

As well as the usual sparrows, blackbirds and pigeons, there have been a few bluetits, a robin having a good old splash around in the birdbath and a little group of long tailed tits.

Great Christina,mwell done. Come and 'see' us again

Great suggestion Ann. I've just been back to the Bird Watch site, and my results have gone through.

Thank you. Not two hours wasted after all.

My form is going in the post tomorrow :-D. It is the first year I have actually managed to do a proper count. I have just noticed the window feeder is empty again !. They are a greedt lot at the moment :-D

Sorry Ann, I've only just seen your reply. (Hadn't clicked on watch thread).

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll go onto the site again and look for that form.