Hobbies and Crafts

Haven't been on this thread for quite a while.
Just don't seem to have seen many birds recently. Have however heard quite a few, shame I can't indentify them by song only.

However, around three weeks ago, around three a.m. looking out into the back garden I saw two adult foxes! They were clearly visible as they lay on the grass in the light of a neighbours security light!

Haven't seen them since, but I'm seldom looking out at my garden at that time of the morning.

I live in an inner city area in Birmingham. Used to see foxes more often in the days when we all had old fashioned bins outside. The foxes would knock them over and raid them.

The window feeder was knocked off or taken off the window this morning by the window cleaner.After he had gone I noticed it wasn't on the window.So I went to put it back up and there was a lot of the suet pellets on the ground.I decided to just leave them rather than sweep up...All gone now :-D

So not too long then Ann before baby arrives :-D :-D

I bet the spilled seed will soon be hoovered up Kandj!!

We had a female blackcap on the fat balls today (why didn't she call in on Sunday when i was doing bird watch?

No, no baby yet, I think the due date is about 18th but she is having a Caesarian so it should be before then.

February already. Any new baby brother for Luke yet Ann?

Bright and sunny and the birds are hungry and so I have just filled the feeder.
The strong wind had blown down a bird feeder that I put up in the back garden and now I have bird seed all over near the garage and a broken bird feeder, hey ho.

Shame you couldn't do it Jane, never mind, maybe next time.

I am miffed....I did a post yesterday but just as I posted it the internet went down :-S
I was saying that I didn't manage to do the bird count .I never seemed to get a whole hour without interruptions :-S.
The feeder was actually very quiet for some reason,but I could hear lots of birdsin the trees and bushes.The Blackbirds have been busy pulling worms on the lawn though :-D.
My OH has gone to Suffolk for a couple of days on his todd .He might go to Minsmere if he has time and weather permits.He has taken my Binoculars so would be nice if he spots some unusual birds :-D(feathered ones of course :-D :-D)

A good variety of birds Ann. We have had visitors for the weekend so I haven't done the Birdwatch survey this year, but while we were having breakfast this morning we saw a couple of robins, a wren and a couple of great tits, as well as the usual collared doves and pigeons. There were also a male and female blackbird having a splash in the birdbath. Then it started raining again and everything disappeared :-(

I did a watch yesterday as well but entered todays because, although the rest of the birds were almost the same (pretty consistent here), we had the long tailed tits today. yesterday we had 4 sparrows and one Collard dove, the rest was the same.

A good variety Ann. Don't have any different here this morning.

11 Starlings
4 Hedge Sparrows
4 Pigeons
1 Blackbird
1 Robin

did the birdwatch this morning between 0915 and 10.15. Quite surprising.

Sparrows -1
Robin -1
Goldfinch -4
Blackbird -2
Wren -1
Bluetit -4
Great tit -2
Coal tit -1
Long tailed tit -5

Well we had a fairly low count this morning between 9 and 10am. Might do another one tomorrow then i will put the result up here.

Today we have been to Gloucester to visit the Quays outlet shopping centre and have lunch in Wetherspoons. I managed to buy a V necked sweater in M&S Outlet for £8.50 instead of £12.50 and another M&S lightweight top for £6. So was pleased with that. Then we had a very pleasant lunch in Wetherspoons of ham. Eggs and chips and a bottle of Shiraz. It was extremely busy in there, being Saturday and a day that Gloucester Rugby are playing at home.

We had a lovely view from the window as we had lunch of the docks in the sunshine with the kaskelot in the shipyard for refurbishing. . Kaskelot is a three-masted barque and one of the largest remaining wooden ships in commission. The Kaskelot was built in 1948 by J. Ring-Andersen for the Royal Greenland Trading Company, to carry supplies to remote coastal settlements in East Greenland. During the 1960s, Kaskelot worked as a support vessel for Danish fisheries in the Faroe Islands. We do like having the tall ships visit the docks.

It was a lovely sunny, blue sky day today but the wind was cuttingly cold so we were pleased to get indoors after walking from the bus stop

LOL Ann. I can hear all the birds at the moment but can't actually see many.Where have they gone??.It will be too dark soon so I might have a go at Birdwatch tomorrow,if the rain forecast doesn't put them off .

Don't forget it is bird watch weekend this weekend. :-D that is if you can find any birds to watch. Jane will be OK.

Nice and bright here today. Bedding and towels blowing dry on the clothes line.

Only the usual starlings, hedge sparrows, pigeons, Mr Blackbird around today.

We have been enjoying the BBC2 Winterwatch programmes, last one tonight 8pm.
from the Scottish Highlands, where we have spent many happy holidays in the past.

I can't find sny mention of a white Heron although the Grey Heron, the one we normally see has a lot of white on it. But they are large. A smaller white bird similar to a Heron is an Egret. Is he sure that is not what it was?

Glad you have got your car back anyway.

Car back and all good Vera :-D.Fingers crossed now no more problems.There better not be.We took it on a good run today and all seems fine :-D
The trouble is I am having is I keep forgeting to take the key out of the ignition when I get out .My last car was one where the key could just stay in my handbag and the car would start ,and automatically lock and unlock without me having to actually use it.Now I have to physically use the key by pressing the button to open the car and then putting it in to start the engine.I'm sure I will soon get the hang of it lol
I have been out all day from 8.30 unitil early evening.MRI Scan ,Hips X-rays and then out for lunch and Cinema so haven't seen which birds have been around today.
OH went for a walk the other day and said he saw a White Heron.Is that unusual to see one ? He said it was a lot smaller than the normal Herons.

I have seen a couple of goldfinches but little else today, really windy, wet and dark all day. Not a good day to have to go to the hairdressers. :-) :-)

Much the same here today kandj. The winds weren't too bad this morning but I can hear them picking up now and we have had some rain with more to come. I hope it isn't too bad in the north of England. Those poor people need a bit of a break to recover from the earlier floods. East Anglia, where I live, is the driest part of the country but even here the ground is so sodden that I don't think it can take much more.

I think the birds have all hibernated. Very little activity here though the fat balls have gone down a lot so something has been around. It was probably starlings before I was up.

I hope your car is back and running OK Jane.

Very dark and cold with strong winds today, very few birds around at all to be honest.
Must be hiding away in the shrubbery and keeping warm.

A bright sunny day here today. A real tonic and no mistake.
A few sparrows, our regular Mr Blackbird and lots of starlings so far.

Lucky you Ann, having so many goldfinches around. Such pretty coloured birds.

We had a couple of ornamental grasses in our first house very many years ago Vera, we had two different species that grew only 2' high but they were calming to watch swaying in a breeze.

Banana Yellow Jane?? You will easily spot that colour in the car park!
How disappointing that your brand new car has the fault. Hope it is mended for Mon/Tues so that you can get back to driving a lovely big car.