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Hi Kandj, yes maybe next week will be better, sending loads of positive thoughts that it will.

No rain here yet and OH out in the garden well wrapped up as it is very cold. It is dark though so I am sure it will rain soon. I am staying in, like most of our birds. All we have had is the goldfinches.

Very many thanks to you all for your kind words and support. Very much appreciated.

Fingers crossed we will have better week ahead.

Heavy rain and a dark wet morning, could be in for the day as black clouds above.

Not many birds around, probably sheltering in the shrubs until the rain stops here.

Leather bottomed booties Vera.. He would wear out knitted bottoms in a jiffy lol
I wish you could all see this Blackbird .It is so funny :-D

Funny you should mention chaffinches Jane as OH only said this morning that he hasn't seen a chaffinch anywhere in the area since we moved here 3 years ago and I have only seen one and that wasn't in the garden. It does seem strange as we are only 6 miles from where we lived before and the garden there used to be full of them. We used to get Jays as well but again I haven't seen any round here.

It's still mostly sparrows in the garden which I am pleased about but a bit of variety would be nice. Something - and I suspect a blackbird - has been throwing all the earth out of a shallow pot I planted with mini tulips :-| I'm thinking of making a beak cover for him to protect my poor bulbs. Shall I knit some bootees for your blackbird at the same time Jane?

:-D :-D Ann.......It looks like something in River Dance LOL

aaw Jane, buy him a pair of booties you know you want to! :-D

No Mussel shells to be seen in this neck of the woods. We are just about as far away from the sea as you can get.
But I did get a surprise just now when I saw 2 Jays on the top of our big Yew hedge.
We had a Jay around 2 or 3 months ago but then it disappeared. The Robins are about again a lot more with bright red chests :-).The Chaffinches are still being aggresive towards any birds that try and land on the window feeder :-S

Blackbird still doing a tap dance when he lands on the feeder Ann LOL

At last the birds have decided it's much easier to come and feed in my garden, than go searching elsewhere.
I'm so pleased.

We have very few fiches ever, but this week has brought starlings, robin, sparrows, blue tits, collared doves, a magpie and a crow.

Seagulls are ever present, but I don't put food on the ground, so they generally don't visit the garden unless messy feeders drop a lot from the bird blocks on the tree. We often find small mussel shells on the path, so it's good to know they do resort to a more natural diet too.

:-D :-D :-DJane his feet are probably cold.

Good to hear Maryanna is fine......Hi Maryanna :-D

Well I have a right stroppy Blackbird that visits the windwe feeder.. He stomps his feet on the edge of the feeder when he lands..I think it must be a way of stopping any other birds trying to get a look in !!!! He looks like he doing a jig from River Dance LOL

Thanks Vera, yes it was getting a bit like that wasn't it on the thread. :-D

Evening all

Good to see you post Kandj. I wish we could offer more than moral support. Is there a church or local group that could give you a little practical help - sit with your husband while you get a little rest perhaps?

Glad you are posting Jem. We were getting a bit thin on the ground and there's only so many times I can say I've only got sparrows in the garden :-)

Good to hear your daughter is OK Ann. Hope she enjoys the rest of her holiday.

Afternoon Jem. yes it was very frightening, strangely more so for us than daughter as we didn't know what was happening and she knew she was safe. She is in a lovely hotel now with beautiful views and has been on a jet boat and then a steamer on a lake. she leaves Queenstown on our Friday (tomorrow. they have had three days there.

you have busy birds then. We had four goldfinches feeding but the last few days have been very windy here and we haven't really seen many birds, the Robin was eating the mealy worms but the blue and great tits have not been round while we were looking. :-D

Good Afternoon Everyone :-)

It was very stormy here this morning, but the sun has come out now!

My sparrows are very active today, feeding, bathing in water that has collected in various places and preening and fluffing.
They are looking very happy little birds :-D

The starlings are having a turn now, and the jackdaw landed and changed his mind.


Yesterday we saw Mr and Mrs Blackbird.
First Mr Blackbird looked as though he was in a huge strop, picking up fallen leaves and throwing them.Then Mrs Blackbird appeared and they flew into the hedge.
We do usually see them in the spring further down the garden where they normally nest.

~~~~~~~~~~ to Everyone :-)
Hope you are all ok.

Glad your daughter is ok, Ann:-)
A terribly frightening experience for you all.

Kandj <3 <3 <3

Oh dear Kandj, it is lovely to see you but you sound so dispirited. Do you not have any help at all. I am sure the horrible weather outside, if it is like ours today, is no help at all. We are all still here for you, although it sounds as if you need more practical support than virtual. However, if you don't want to write on threads, feel free to pm me any time, I am usually around.

Lynda is still in N Zealand until about the 23rd. She gets home on the 25th. She and her party are now in Queenstown and back on their proper itinary. She is in a lovely hotel with beautiful views. She says theyw ere well looked after in Henman Springs by the hotel and were able to get away as soon as the road opened to the West. She said she felt more human once she had a good nights sleep. :-) <3 <3 <3

Still coping with a challenging time here. Feel as if we are taking one step forward
and then another step backwards and it is leaving us both feeling worn out and weary.

I hope that your daughter will be well taken care of in NZ Ann. What a frightening
experience for her in what should have been a trip of a lifetime out there. I hope
you and your OH and the rest of your family can relax a little now until she is home.

Maryanne sounds to be her usual busy self, so that is good to know now.

Thanks to you all for your thoughts and kind words of support. Much appreciated.

I have heard from Maryanna, she is fine, just very busy and involved with her family. She promises to pop in and see us sometime. She does read the threads so please come and see us soon Maryanna. We are a poor little thread now with only 3 regular posters.

Kandj, we miss you too and thinking of you and OH <3 <3 <3

She is ok now thanks Jane, they moved up to the west coast their yesterday and are now following their itinary. She felt more human after a nights sleep.

We're still getting the usual sparrows who are eating us out of house and home but yesterday the starlings were back - haven't seen them for a while. There was also a little robin hopping around. Haven't seen many birds today but I think it has been too wet for them to venture out much.

I hope your daughter's OK Ann. The New Zealand authorities will be well organised so I am sure she will be fine but we never stop worrying about our kids do we.

As it was turning colder, we put up extra seed etc. Since then the birds have left home! Hardly seen any. How strange, must be the full moon!! :-D