Hobbies and Crafts

Seen your pm Jude thanks. Our new laptop is HPG61-110SA. It was on offer in a major computer chain - Le monde de PC! Got all the buttons and functions including the slimline salad dressing - and it goes up to 11 and everything. I'm even getting used to the mouse pad instead of having a separate mouse. Whenever I've borrowed OH's work one or one of my kids' laptops I've hated the mousepad, but I suppose it's just a matter of getting used to things.

Lovely to see the photos on the blog. I was looking at the one of the goldfinches. It's taken some time but at last we have seen them a couple of times on their new feeder. It helps if you know what different seed they all like doesn't it? But we only saw one the first time and then it was a while till we saw them again when three of them came. That was just before the snow came and we haven't seen them again since then. I did notice that they are very wary of even the slightest movement inside the house so maybe they're just getting used to us like the other birds have. Lots of them only disappear from the feeder if we actually go out and disturb them but don't take any notice of us moving about inside. So hopefully they'll be back again or maybe they are coming when we don't see them. I did notice the seed level seems to be a little bit lower in their feeder.

Something I noticed the other day when i went down the garden to check on the ducks (they don't like to wade far on the garden through the snow) were the footprints of the heron. One had obviously walked across the end of the garden at the river's edge. Their prints are absolutely huge. I had thought the pheasants' prints were big till I saw those!

Ah well got to add me beans to me tea now and then it'll only take about 10 mins so I'd better go and be a domestic goddess (hmmm).

Oh my gawd a marathon update.....will read it later. Have pm'd you with blog. Great to see you back.

Can l ask .....? what laptop did you get?

jude :o)

Welcome back Lizzie, so good to see you on here, we have missed all your wildlife news.

Hi Everyone,

I'm here again. Thanks for your concern but it boiled down to being busy up to Christmas and then our computer dying over the holiday period. The night before OH had said he'd do a major backup "tomorrow", but I think the hard drive heard him and said "just you try it sunshine". Of course huge frustration and a major lesson learned about keeping up with backups. But we have our new all singing all dancing laptop now so we're getting back to rights bit by bit.

We've been keeping up with ensuring the birds are fed and that reminds me, whilst I was taking out some more mealworms this afternoon I forgot to get the coconut shell in to do another fat treat. My special recipe including porridge oats to help bind it. We had a ram roast in the garden in the summer for our silver wedding and there was a huge bucket of dripping from which we still have a small amount left. Don't get much wasted round here.

We've had loads of birds visiting the feeders and are getting more and more pheasants coming up to the back door to knock like the ducks do. But they run away as soon as we go near and flap about making lots of noise - they haven't learned to be brave yet but normally when they see the likes of us something goes bang loudly so you can't blame them. I had a cock pheasant with two hens in the garden on Sunday and I heard a couple of shots in the morning that sounded like they could have come from the farm the other side of the river. Unusually the birds didn't fuss but must have known they could thumb their noses at that one. Someone had a good lunch though...

Just seeing if the birds like vine leaves. Had some dolmades left over so I cut them up for the rice inside.

Had a pretty big snowfall again today but the weather really doesn't know what it wants to do now. It keeps stopping and starting and sometimes has been quite heavy and big flakes, but in between it has also been doing its best to have more of a thaw too. The sky still looks very full to me so we'll see what comes.

When I was out taking my son to work this afternoon I saw some moorhens crossing the road and on Sunday when we were out walking we saw them sliding across the frozen Kennet and Avon Canal so it's been hard for them. Our river is quite fast flowing so it's better for the ones round here. I hadn't seen the swans for ages, but I saw the cob and pen with one cygnet go past today, but I was too slow to go and feed them. It's a longer way down the garden at this time of the year with having to take care on the steps etc. I have been down since and put out some bread at the bottom of the garden and some fresh seed on the low table feeder. Nearer the house there are some thawed patches, especially under the garden furniture so I've put some extra bits under there for the ground feeders, though I've seen some of them having a go at the hanging feeders when nothing else was around to disturb them.

My 3 cats and the neighbour's one seem to be no problem to the birds right now since all they want to do is whizz out for a comfort call and straight back in by the aga or into the airing cupboard again. Two of mine and the neighbour's one are around 13. My other one whose age we don't know, but seems younger is large and fairly lazy anyway ever since he came in from quite a hard life as a stray and he's got used to the fact that we really are going to keep him well fed too.

It's just getting dark now and I've had one last robin having a little chat to me through the window before he turns in.

Well now I'd better think about feeding people, but it's been good to catch up with all your posts since I was last on here. Happy new year to you all and hoping it's proves to be a good one all round.

Lizzie

Ooops its on the blog now Ann....sorry:o))

jude :o)

Hi Jude, comparing it with our fieldfare it is a bit darker but comparing it to the photo of a redwing I sent you but not on the blog it doesn't seem to have the stripe across its head. I think it is a fieldfare.

Hello all, I'm still feeding my garden visitors Christmas cake, they're looking quite obese...have a job to take off soon!

Regards to you all.

Pam.☺

Hello Jean:o))) lovely to see you on here:o))

Has anyone identified the bird on the blog from Jane??

The same here, they are ravenous. Vics cleared another the paths again. He watched a blackbird just now trying to get a drink from a dish that slipped over, so he's just gone out and put it straight and made sure they are'nt frozen.

Madoc is just as mad this morning, we had a play session under the duvet, although l have t be abit careful cause of his leg, but generally he's on his back makng the most awful noises and trying to grab me:o))

jude:o)

The snow is fast filling in the patch where OH has cleared the lawn for the birds to feed. We have blackbirds, sparrows , thrushes, two types of wagtail, robins and wrens. They are ravenous, been fed twice today already, and sparrows are feeding out of the bird feeder which was for the bluetits. Am feeding stray cat to keep it off the birds.

The bird is on the blog....think it is a fieldfare or Redwing, the chest is probably lighter than you think, buts its difficult to see. Enlarge the photo by going to % at the right hand bottom of screen and enlarge it!!

Nite nite

jude :o)

Tec...have you seen the update of Madoc??

This is bigger than a blackbird Ann!!.But I haven't noticed a different colour on it's chest or underneath.Just looks like a giant thrush lol

Well our fieldfare is quite big, the size of a male blackbird and he or she is very aggressive chases all the birds off.

It's a bit of of a bully too.Keeps chasing my little Robin away.A proper bruiser it is lol

No wonder the bird looks huge Jane, it has probably been eating all that food Lol!!!!

I went to the pet shop today,and they had completely sold out of Wild Bird food lol
Ann I don't think my thrush is a field fare.

Sounds like Daff has got a bird like me.Looks just like a Thrush but is huge lol.
Have sent the pic to Jude now

Your thrushes could well be field fares or redwings, the latter have a broad stripe across the side of the top of their head. Their fronts are more blotchy than spotted like thrushes. If you have a bird book look them up. Also look up both hedge and house sparrows the different one could be those. The small black and white is it a wagtail?

Evening all... well, I have been so excited today... me rummaging around in the conservatory didn't frighten them all away... they are getting used to it... yeh!

Now... I have had a bird who looks like a thrush... but I think it might not be. I'll find out one day, lol

Because they are so much closer now, I can see their markings properly... they were always in the trees or a good distance away.

I now know I have pink ones (two different types, lol maybe one is male and one is female... there are lots of them) Two different types of tit.... a little black and white bird, very pretty, very small... I shall look it up later... collared doves... and wood pigeons, but they aren't too bothered here... they prefer next door but one... the Jays... both fed on the table at the front.... on the left side of my circle, Ann. with your back to the house, I was so excited as I can see them from the hall window, and also the back door window if I stand awkwardly, lol

I have two birds who look like thrush... but different... one is quite rotund, lol... the other is far more streamlined, and elegant looking... then there are the blackbirds, about 8 different ones... I am beginning to be able to tell them apart, lol... they do squabble, don't they?

The Starlings arrived today... oh, and about 4 little sparrows!! And two birds who looked like sparrows, but had a white stripe on their head, and a black cap...... probably are sparrows, you'll tell me! But they do look a bit different.

But... the best bit of all, the woodpeckers are back... we have two pairs... a green one, and the spotted one... Spot is at the back, and the Hulk is at the side.

Oh... and the crows chased the buzzrds off overhead at least three times, lolol

Question: Do magpies pair for life, or do they well, you know... just for the season, so to speak... only they are definitely in pairs here!!

Love

Daff xxx

PS... Ann, your thread question has been answered, I reckon!! Yep... they did know something we didn't !! xxx

It may be a fieldfare Jane, they look like thrushes.

We had five Fieldfare in the tree at the end of our garden this morning, but only the one feeding as usual. It is very terratorial now and chases off anything that moves. We also had seagulls feeding off the open bird table (I put some meat scraps out so didn't mind them taking that. The resta re as usual, squabbling blackbirds, goldfinches, robin sparrows, starlings blue and great tits, dunnock, chaffinches, gren finches.

Have hung up half a coconut filled with fat and seed.I have had to try and fix it bewteen two little branches so it sits like a bowl.It seemed the birds couldn't hold on when it was hanging.There was a huge thrush at it just now.I think it is a thrush,Will send the photo to Jude ,but I don't know if it is bright enough to go on the blog.
It looks like it is snowing a little out there.