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[Eddie]

Yeah, Little bird poo-ed in the shoe box and flew away! That cheered me up. Now i need to go clean the window. Eddie. x

[Pennyfarthing]

I'm pleased to report that we have Goldfinches in our garden this year!  This may not be too exciting for some of you but I have been trying to attract them for several years without success.

Sadly I found a dead one in the garden a few weeks ago and then one day I found a rather stunned one sitting in the middle of the lounge, having come in through the open patio doors.  So I knew they were around.  In previous years I'd tried red ribbon, purple ribbon, niger seed etc (as recommended by various local experts) but nothing would lure them in until NOW and the sunflower hearts have done the trick.   I've used these many other winters without success though.

Over the weekend we've had Long Tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Goldfinch, Linnets as well as plenty of sparrows.

[Cupcake]

Reminder to start stocking up with seed and peanuts! We have goldfinches at the top of the lane, 1/2 mile, but I've never seen them in the garden. We do however get a lesser spotted woodpecker once we put the peanuts out.

[Meggie]

We've just bought a huge bucket of "Fat Balls" - the wild birds go through 1 a day, they just love 'em.  I tried making some once but it wasn't very successful, too much lard and not enough seeds I think.

It's a beautiful day and this morning OH and I have been sorting out our veggie plot which has been really productive this year.  I have just lifted 100 leeks - you only need 1 each as they are so good, so will now spend all afternoon preparing Green Tomato, Apple and Leek Chutney 'cause the last lot tasted so good (even OH has been enjoying it and he doesn't normally eat Chutney). I will use prepare and freeze the white part of the Leeks in readiness for Cheese Sauce.....dribble, dribble.

Meggie

[Bette]

Wow - that sounds wonderful Meggie. 
Bixby x

[Meggie]

The Chutney Production Line is on the go - decided to use the high setting on my HUGE slow cooker as it needs to be cooking a long time.

Meggie

[CLKD]

Oh can we do a swap?  Green bean chutney for your jars please ......... that's C.mas gifts sorted from your end then? 

[Meggie]

Sadly, Christmas Presents aren't the norm here in France, other than for the children who open theirs on Christmas Eve.  They get more out of New Year.  Strange.  I love Christmas.  I will be taking some Chutney to the UK (if we've not eaten it all) to give to friends as family "don't eat the stuff" (their words, not mine) so I'm not wasting it if it's not appreciated.  Friends over here will be pleased with a jar as the French think that the English don't know how to cook.  One Frenchman said to OH "Is it true that the English eat their soup at the end of a meal" - what tosh !!  We've been proving to those close to us that I'm perfectly capable of cooking a brilliant Brocolli & Rochfort soup, Honey Roast Lamb with mediterranean veggies and Tart Tatin .... so there ! 

Meggie

[CLKD]

Well Said!  How's the chicken this week?

[Eddie]

Got our bigger filter installed, i think the fish are happy. Eddie. x

[Meggie]

Well Said!  How's the chicken this week?

CLKD - Chicken "Ginger Rogers" is walking better although limping slightly when on hard ground.  The lump between her claws is smaller but still there - She's eating, laying, drinking and racing about after bugs and things so we won't be taking her back to the Vets.  Time will tell and thanks for asking.

Meggie

[ariadne]

I glanced out of the window today to see which birds were feediing and saw a strange thing. A bird that looked like a fat baby starling was just sitting in the small dish of fat/mealworm food I bought recently. It wasn't feeding, just sitting stock still like a statue. I watched it for movement, saw none and wondered if it had become stuck in the fat! I picked up my camera, approached it and was able to get quite close before it flew off. It came back and did the same thing several times, even staying put when a Jackdaw landed next to it and fed on the fat mixture. Most odd.

I did see it feed a few times, but mostly it sat there like it was in a bath.

Surely it can't be a baby at this time of year can it? It didn't fly very well - rather clumsy. I'm afraid it doesn't look quite right and I have a feeling I might find it dead tomorrow.

[Taz2]

It could have been one of the finches Ariadne. They are suffering badly from this disease http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/health/sickbirds/greenfinches.aspx . It tends to make them fluff right up as it progresses. I have taken a lot of birds to the wildlife rescue centre near us suffering from it. It was more prevalent in pigeons and doves for a few years but has decimated the greenfinch population in our area.

Taz x

[CLKD]

We haven't had many green finches for 2-3 years.  It's very frosty this morning, Hubby had to spend 15 mins deicing the windscreen. I'm tucked up in the warm but will have to go feed the quails and let out the chooks soon.

[ariadne]

Much too big for a finch, and it had a spotty breast like a starling. I did examine its beak for disease, but it looked Ok and it did eat some food. No sign of it today though.

Hubby was looking out of the kitchen window at the sparrows sitting on top of the hedge near the feeders and suddenly gasped. When I asked what was wrong, he said a sparrowhawk just plucked one of the sparrows away.    Still, they have to eat don't they - can hardly go to Tesco can they?