Hobbies and Crafts

Strangely we have had no starlings here for quite a while Kandj. A few goldfinches, Great tits, blue tits and sparrows plus the usual collard doves. No Robins yet and no blackbirds. Oh I forgot the noisy Magpies.

Lovely day here again as was yesterday, real Indian summer type days. Just been down the M5 to a garden centre and the traffic is really heavy, so many caravans, last week must have been a get away week for 'oldies' after the schools went back.

A dry bright day while most seem to have had rain, so we feel very lucky.

A pair of doves appeared today so that's a double bonus for us....... can't grumble.

Showery here this morning but sunny later this afternoon. We took the bus into Cheltenham as we needed to get Euros.

Another cool but bright day. No different birds around here today, but the window feeder and ground feeders are empty and both need sorting out now.

Ann, are you and OH off on your travels again soon?

Is it today or tomorrow that Jane and OH come back home from Italy? She is sure to pop in and tell us all about it.

Not sure if Jane is away for one or two weeks.

we have had up to four goldfinches at a time feeding and also a fe blue and great tits so it must be getting nearer to winter. No starlings yet though which is unusual.

to repeat what I put on a thread on the main board.

Today we drove to Evesham Country Park, mainly to go to the garden centre there for a change and partake of one of their seniors lunches. Before going to the garden centre we had a stroll round the edge of the country park (lovely views of distant hills from there and inquisitive cows in the next field). But the main reason for our meandering was to explore the very old orchards (or what is left of them) along the edge. We managed to pick a small bag of mixed apples, they don't grow very large now because the trees are old but they are nice apples. But the main perk of the walk was picking just under five pounds of victoria plums. These too are old trees, not looked after at all so the plums are small, but they were ripe (so ripe a lot had fallen off the trees) and sweet. Just right for stewing or eating raw. Not sprayed at all so totally organic, and free. It always amazes me (we try and go every year), how this free fruit is not picked by locals. Sadly the blackberries were early this year so we missed them.

And lunch was nice too, served on smaller plates the senior citizen meal today was £7.95 for main and sweet. The main was sausage and mash with caramelised onions and vegetables. I had cauliflower cheese and french beans, other half had beans and carrots. Plenty of mash and two large sausages. Sweet was for me sticky toffee pudding and for T Apple crumble both with custard. Glasses of water are free so we had that as we'd had coffee earlier near Cheltenham.

And the sun shone most of the day with a few clouds around occasionally. :-D

Sounds like you had a good day Ann and lots of free fruit to boot.

I met a friend from work, who I hadn't seen since I retired. We had lunch in Wetherspoons, she lives about ten miles away, then looked round her very nice little town.

I thought it was going to rain so wore my Barbour jacket and nearly died of heat stroke !!! Turned out to be a really lovely day in the end.

M.

Nice to meet up with friend to catch up on news isn't it? It was warm in the sun here and in Worcestershire but a bit chilly when the sun went in.

Hello everyone :-D
We got back last night after a really great holiday.Now it is back to normality ,washing machine tumble drier going like crazy and washing line full.I have just picked Thomas up from the cattery and I think he is really happy to be home again. He is in and out like a yoyo at the moment .Just hope he doesn't decide to bring us a present :-S
I see my little one legged Sparrow is still hopping about :-D Not sure my son filled the window feeder too often though as the tin of food still has plenty in.But I have filled the feeder to the brim now and it is getting busy out there :-D
Next load of washing ready to go out now.I am so glad it is a nice sunny day :-D :-D
My Daughter is due home from London in a while so I had better go and get her room ready .Will catch up again later.

Glad you had a good holiday Jane but I bet all the washing and ironing will soon bring you back down to earth.

Apart from blackbirds, who make a mess by throwing the earth everywhere as they are looking for their dinner, we haven't had many birds around. The starlings seem to have completely disappeared. But I haven't had the proper feeders up since June when we started redoing the garden.

OH decided he didn't want to put the feeding station back up as he didn't think it would look right but he has agreed I can hang feeders on the two new trees we put in. As we wanted an "instant" garden we got fairly mature trees and I think the birds may prefer it to the feeding station we had.

So this afternoon I dug out all the feeders from the back of the garage where we had put them out of the way. I've given them a thorough wash and disinfect and when I am sure they are dry I'll fill them and hang them from the trees.

Fingers crossed that the birds will come back.

Photos on the blog - Dorset, Malvern, one from Jane and a day out.

Thank you Ann. I'll take a look later when I can get on the main computer.

I'm feeling very happy today. I hung 3 of the feeders on the trees with Niger seeds, mixed bird seed, and a home made fat cake. Within minutes there were 4 bluetits and a flock of long tailed tits on them. They all seem to go for the fat cake. At one point there were 4 long tailed tits on the cake and a whole flock lining up on the bough above, waiting their turn. :-D

They weren't there long but it's good that they are around.

Oh how lovely Vera, well done, Long tailed tits are lovely

Still doing blooming washing and ironing :-S.Yes def back to normal now Vera.
How lovely to have Long Tailed Tis.I haven't seen any here for a while here now.I do love them.
Tha cat is back to his tricks again after coming home from the Cattery :-S.I've lost count of the number of mice I have seen him eat,and today he got a little bird and a Rabbit :-( :-(...And I wonder why he doesn't eat his cat food !!!!!!

Interesting photographs as usual Ann of your visits out and about. Nice to see Jane's holiday scene too. Thank you both.

Vera, your garden is coming on nicely and sounds like the birds have found it already!

Jane, seems like Thomas has got his killer head back on once again.... bad boy!!!

Very misty still here with low cloud and a really damp chill this morning. Just the usual hedge sparrow, pigeons, starlings, occasional robin.... still no sign of Mr Blackbird though?? Perhaps Vera could spare some long tailed tits?? that would make a change.

Bird life is picking up here, There is a very small Robin around and on the feeders quite a few bluetits, great tits and one coal tit. also collard doves, a Dunnock and sparrows, but no blackbirds as yet. They must be out in the fields and orchards eating all the fruit and berries.

I think I started celebrating too soon. Apart from one or two blackbirds I have hardly seen a bird in the garden since the long tailed tits came and went. :-(. I have put another feeder out now and filled this one with peanuts. Perhaps if they get used to seeing food in the garden they will visit more when the winter comes and it is harder for them to find their food naturally.

Jane, you will have to give Thomas a firm talking-to or you will have no wildlife left in your neck of the woods!

I don't think there is any telling Thomas LOL.He is off now on the hunt :-S.No wonder he doesn't eat much cat food.
There are still plenty of birds around (despite Thomas).The Green Woodpecker is a frequent visitor at the moment and I am definitely seeing more Robins around now.
We did have lots of Blackbirds but not so many right now.
I heard an Owl the other day ,and it was about 10am !!!!.I just couldn't work out where it was.
The sun is still shining and a totally clear blue sky.Cold night I think.OH has just put a jumper on to sit in the summerhouse to read his book.

I know where all the starlings are. They're at Felixstowe.

It was such a lovely day that I persuaded OH to leave the computer and have a day out so we went to Felixstowe. We walked a long way along the seafront so I am a bit stiff now. It was a bit nippy walking into the wind so I was glad I had taken a fleece but it really was a beautiful day. Part way along the front was an area absolutely full of starlings. They were wheeling in a big flock in the sky and lining up on the wires of the seaside strings of lights as well as gathering on the grass. They all looked to be this year's broods and some of them looked very young.

We also wandered into town and found two lovely shops, one selling locally made craft goods and the other had some unusual gifts so we got a birthday present for a friend in one and a Christmas present for someone in the other.

It's been a really good day :-D :-D

Nice day out then Vera :-D...I'm glad all the Starlings are in Felixstowe and not here :-D.There aren't many good days left now by the sound of it.Maybe just 2 more before the weather changes.I would love to have a walk on the coast.Just a pity we are SO far away from it :-(..I really miss the sea.

That sounded like a good day out Vers. We are at sons today! Flying out of Luton tomorrow, back the 28th