Hobbies and Crafts

Oh how lovely.

I can hear a Nightingale :-D :-D

what is a bit of green gunk among friends and frogs Vera?

We were down in Hampshire where it was very very windy Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Lee on Solent. When we walked out to the restaurant yesterday evening we could hardly stand up and when we walked back to our B&B it poured and we got blown along and soaked. This morning we woke to a light breeze, blue skies and sun.

Weather wise we have had a real mixed bag thrown at us today - light rain, heavy rain, sun, wind and hail.

A few days ago I had a look at our mini pond and decided that when the weather eased up I would give it a good clean. It was definitely looking uggy. There was just one frog in it. Had a look today and the pond is now full of frog spawn so I won’t be able to clean it for months. I’ll just have to close my eyes to all the green gunk round the edge.

They must be as fed up as we are Vera.And there is more to come by the sounds of things :-S They are still feeding like crazy from the window feeder and each time I look out the back window I see the Magpies on the lawn :-S.I have a feeling that they might have taken over the Woodpigeons old nesting place in the Conifers at the side of the house. .

I also had a smile at a couple of blue tits today. They were hanging on either side of the peanut feeder which was being blown around like mad and it was like watching a couple of children on an old-fashioned swing boat. First one went up in the air, then he dropped down and the other one rose up. I should think they were both feeling a bit seasick but they wouldn't give up :-).

Apart from these two and a couple of pigeons we haven't seen many birds for a couple of days. I think they are keeping their heads down and staying out of the wind and rain. I wish I could do the same

Tin hats would be just the job for them Ann :-D. It is incredible how they manage to hang on .You would think with little spindly legs they would not have the strength .It must be to do with the feet that keep them steady. I wish I had taken a video of the little Blue Tit earlier. It was quite something to see.I would have been flung off the branch in a blink of the eye :-D

Lol have they got little tin hats on Jane. Plenty of ruffled feathers I expect.

The little Blue Tits and other tinies are hanging on for grim death on the bouncing branches in this wind. It must be like being on your worst nightmare ride at a fairground !!!!

:-D maybe some males need the attraction of a ready built nest to start a family.

Maybe it's her second nest then Ann as I've not seen a male with her. I still think it isn't a very good place for a nest, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see if she uses it or not. She must be finished with the moss for now as she hasn't been in the gutters today, unless she's taken it all, I can't see into the gutters without a ladder to see if there's any left. She's been very busy for a few days so maybe she's finished it and that's why I've not seen her flying around our garden today. It was lovely to watch her and quite funny when she came out of the hedge and bobbed up onto our screening, she'd sit there looking around for a while before flying back to get more moss.

I think the male may help build the first nest Gill but is too busy feeding the babies to help with the second one.

No Buzzards here but we have had a lot of blue tit bobbing in and out of our Red Robins going back and forth to the feeder, I think they're getting used to the workmen now especially when they are working inside and only have the door open. We haven't had as many Starlings for a while though, just one or two.

We have a female Blackbird busy building a nest behind our screening in the hedge, it's lovely to watch but no so much when she takes the soggy moss out of our gutters and drops some of it right outside our kitchen door.

So the male Blackbirds feed the babies while mum builds the nests Ann, I didn't know that. I did wonder why it was a female making the nest and not the male.

Buzzards do have a special cry Ann. I recognise the sound now .They haven't been around today. They fly much higher than the Red Kites)

Lovely to see buzzards Jane and right overhead too. Yes they sort of speak don’t they?

2 Buzzards today over our house. I haven't seen Buzzards for ages . At first I thought they were Red Kites but then I noticed no V shaped tail . Also Buzzards have a special cry. Magpies still around :-S

After me saying I never see any Starlings(I still haven't ) but have heard a right racket going on in some tall trees in my neighbours garden. Starlings for sure!

I don't know if you know Gill but it is usually the male blackbird who feeds the baby. If one is weak and one strong he will feed the strongest and ignore the other one. the female meanwhile is off making a second nest for the next brood and I think it is not necessarily with the same male.

It sounds like there are lots of birds around for everyone at the moment. I've just been watching a Robin on our feeder. Now almost all of the outside work is done on next door's extension the birds have started coming back, although there doesn't seem to be as many Starlings lately, just one or two at a time, plenty of blue tits though which is lovely to see.

I had a smile when you said the Blackbirds like the cake flavoured rainwater Vera. The Blackbirds around here only eat what's been dropped underneath the feeder, I've never seen one fly up to the food.

I didn't know you could have Goldfinches as pets Annx, my nan used to have a minor bird who copied everything anyone said, it was really funny to hear sometimes. I should imagine you would never have any secrets with one of those around.

We had a budgie when I was little and my dad used to let it out of the cage to Jane, he would fly to his hand and sit there for ages. My mum wasn't so keen on caged birds either, but I think that's probably because of all the mess under the cage as she was the one who had to hoover it up every day. The one we had was very noisy to. Funny the things you remember isn't it?

I've not seen a Magpie attack either AnnG, but I've heard them trying to get into other birds nests, it sounds awful, especially when you can see the Blackbirds flying around, trying to stop them, of course the Magpies always win. I found half an egg shell on the patio the other day, but didn't know what type of bird it came from, it was only small and white, it was quite upsetting to see. A few years ago I saw a baby blackbird on the grass along the hedge, he couldn't fly so must of been very young, I wondered then if it had been knocked out of it's nest, there was an adult male feeding him. The baby walked under the hedge and I never saw him again, I often wonder what happened to him.
Sandra loves Canaries and loves to go to Waterworld, a water feature place near us, as they have lots of animals and birds there, which she loves to see.

The poor Jackdaw Von, I'm pleased to see he got away from the Magpies in the end.

I haven't actually seen a magpie attack other birds although I know they go for the small birds and nests. However, when I magpie flies over the garden I too have seen other birds fly off the seed containers. magnificent looking birds but not noce!

Good to see you on here Von. :-)