Hobbies and Crafts

Ann there are so many Red Kites here at the moment.I haven't seen so many in a long time.We have at least one or 2 each day over our gardens here,and they do make quite a racket with their squealing sounds.I wonder if it might be the start of the courting season .Might be a bit early for that .
The lovely Gt Spotted Woodpecker has been feeding at the window again today :-D It looked quite at home for a while until one of the big male Blackbirds decided to fly in and disturb things :-S

Possibly not too early for the mating season Jane, we have sparrows collecting nesting material and blackbirds starting to get terratorial. Maybe there are too many in your area so they are starting to holiday over here. :-D

Rain, rain and more rain today.

A good shopping day for you and OH yesterday Ann, managed a few bargains then.

No red kites here Jane, but seagulls again squealing around in the rain.

Yes a good shopping day Kandj. Been to the Range this morning, needed new mats for my golf, (which is still wet on the back floor, taking ages to dry out and we still can't find where the rain is getting in.) Also bought some craft bits.
Not a lot of birds around today, although nothing seems to stop the Goldfinches from eating.
I see they have caught that huge Eagle, what a magnificent bird. Well they didn't actually catch him, he flew home when he was ready. A lot of pet owners will be relieved!

Ann the Blackbirds here are having right scraps especially on the Window feeder :-S
There are a couple of male ones that are ready for a punch up at a drop of a hat.
Even with all the rain today the feeder has been very busy and is now empty again.
It will have to stay empty now until tomorrow.

A big fat pigeon landed on the window feeder earlier and brought it crashing down!!
It has snapped some of the plastic off, so I have used some gaffa tape . It is all filled and back on the window (almost) as good as new........ make do and mend here ha ha

Yesterday we had a Goldcrest on the coconut. One was spotted in a neighbours garden last year but we didn't see it, OH thought he'd seen the 'small bird' last week but I missed it, yesterday he managed to call me in time and I just saw it as it flew off. Very quick little birds, no red crest so probably a female. Our smallest bird apparently.

A lot Seagulls here swooping around eating everything off the ground feeder.
Wet and windy earlier but it's stopped raining and quite pleasant now.

Not sure I have ever seen a Goldcrest Ann.I must google it.
Today we have had a Squirrel on the Window Feeder.It must be a newcomer as it is so clumsy .It kept taking a tumble LOL,but kept coming back.
A Red Kite has been flying very low over the garden again today.I bet there are bunnies around.Thomas is out there somewhere too.No doubt trying to grab a rabbit before the bird gets one :-) :-S
It is so windy here today !!!

Not too windy here, dry and not too cold either. Rather be where our daughter is though, in Fuerteventura.

I think the main visitors to the window feeder today have been the Robins,Woodpecker and Squirrel.The Blackbirds have been busy on the lawn .There must be a lot of good juicy worms :-D

Just seen a very small greenfinch on the black sunflower seeds, plus the usual mob of Goldfinches. There has been a blackap around lately as well.

Seagulls, pigeons and lots of starlings and just Mr Blackbird here today. All very hungry.

Had to fill up the crushed peanut feeder again today, the blue and great tits are eating us out of house and home. And feeding the pigeons and blackbirds below them on the lawn.

We seem to be getting more visits from the one small greenfinch. strange because there are usually more than one of them when they visit. This is the first visit for ages by a greenfinch.

I have a long tailed tit visiting the window feeder :-D :-D.I am so pleased.It's been so long since I have seen any.I am hoping there is more than just the one.I'm sure there must be.

They are usually in a flock so fingers crossed Jane :-D

Strange you should mention long tailed tits as OH and I saw a flock of something outside our hotel in Madeira this morning and have been discussing whether they were long tailed tits or something else. There was a flock of about a dozen. They had the long tails but looked a little taller and slimmer than the ones we see at home.

Apart from these and a couple of wagtails we have only seen pigeons and gulls. Lots of lizards everywhere and we were fascinated to see a little girl offering them tiny bits of banana which they seemed to love. :-)

Hope you are having a lovely time Vera. We go to Madeira in April. Ghekos and lizards like banana and strangely, lettuce. Wonder if they were long tailed tits then?

Thank you Ann, we are having a lovely time. We last came 7 years ago but OH is talking about trying to get back later this year. Don't know if it will happen.

I have been very spoilt. Yesterday we got back to our hotel after a day out to find a beautiful birthday cake and a basket of fruit in our room from the management. I hadn't told anyone it was my birthday but an eagle eyed receptionist noticed the date in my passport. That was a real surprise.

In the evening we went out for an upmarket meal. OH must have mentioned my birthday when he booked the table as when our deserts came, mine had Happy Birthday piped on the plate and a lighted candle. All the staff gathered round our table and sang Happy Birthday to me. I felt a right idiot with everyone looking but it was a lovely gesture. :-D

I think I over-indulged a bit and my poor tum has been paying for it today :-(. Just a main course and a lemonade tonight I think. :-D

Oh, happy birthday for yesterday Vera and hope tum recovers. What a lovely gesture from the hotel too :-)