Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hurdity]

Yes we have lots of long-tailed tits too - it's amazing to see them all scrabbling away at the nuts! We're not organised re different seeds though. We just have mixed seed, nuts and a fat ball... it would be fantastic to increase the variety - we were just bemoaning the lack of birds the other day, and wondered where they all were.

This afternoon I was on the computer (upstairs) and heard a sound at the windwow - I thought someone had thrown something so I went over and there was a goldcrest sitting on the windowsill looking at me (the sill is about knee height)! I have never seen one so close and it was incredible how tiny and round it was, and looking down at the flash of gold on its head!

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

2014 and I have in our garden: 1 straggly yellow rose in bloom; lots of forsythia tied in along the fences flowering quietly; no Winter clematis nor honeysuckle but the hellebores are slowly putting out flower buds ready to open during the week.  Three snowdrops, reckon the chooks have ruined those but the bluebells are up already  …… no polyanths because those don't last here for many years before rotting into the ground, a few crocus might grow to flowering ……… what's in your garden in mid-January?

[honeybun]

Rain CLKD, just rain 


Honeyb
x

[Taz2]

Nothing.. apart from some pesky bulbs poking through the soil....

Taz x 

[CLKD]

   I'll send you our squirrels, they eat bulbs 

[Taz2]

Thank you - although I have squirrels of my own and they don't seem to eat mine - much preferring the bird food!

Taz x

[CLKD]

Meggie - wild boar  and the Powers that Be intend allowing any in the UK that have escaped farms to run wild  ……….. although one requires a Licence to keep them and nothing seems to be done about making farmers round them up 

Make sure that you put wire at least 12" below the ground as swine will use their noses to dig, dig, dig and once the wire is weakened they will flatten it!

[Rowan]

Love those cats

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57617101-71/scientist-cats-think-you-are-just-a-big-stupid-cat/

[Meggie]

We hate the blessed Wild Boar, they ruin our gardens.  The Local Chasse shot 7 of them last weekend, one of them was 106 kilo's !!!!  Someone will have a freezer full.

Meggie

[CLKD]

At least they don't go to waste!  Big beasties when up close and personal  but the piglets are soooo cute 

I think the birds know that a cool spell is on the way, not many in our garden but they have been BUSY!

[CLKD]

There is a robin whistling.  I have the windows open all round the house and the song is beautiful 

Between 11.00-11.40 every night there is a sharp squak outside our bedroom: located the cause this morning - a starling ........ perhaps he's saying 'goodnight' to his mates or maybe it's as he enters our roof space to roost ........ it's as regular as clock work 

[ariadne]

Talking to MIL on the phone this morning I was distracted by something dark appearing and disappearing just in my eyeline through the kitchen window. I asked MIL to hold on while I checked it out

A while back hubby had put a round mirror behind our tiny pond to reflect a terracotta pot and some stones. And there in front of the mirror performing a mating dance was a male blackbird!  Oh I did feel sorry for him but could have watched him for ever. He was giving it his all, bowing and fluttering, jumping on and off the mirror and sometimes just standing admiring the object of his desire - sadly himself.

I relayed this to MIL who thought it hilarious, then I told hubby who said he'd seen the same thing yesterday!

When I went back to look, the poor little chap was still there flirting with Miss Mirror. He must have been exhausted.

Should I move the mirror? I feel quite sad for him- might it stop him looking for a real mate? And can't he see its another male though?

Ariadne xx

[Taz2]

Interesting post. The territorial "dance" which they use to chase off other male blackbirds is similar to the mating dance ariadne. Usually with the mating dance the male blackbird also croons a low song. He will also have his beak partly open while "dancing".

The territorial dance involves wing fluttering and head bowing and running at the other bird. It could be that he thinks the reflection is another male. It is unusual for a blackbird to confuse the sexes apparently. If it was me I would remove the mirror for a while.

Taz x

[ariadne]

Thank you Tax. From what you say then it sounds more territorial than lust! I will remove the mirror for a while so he can pursue the female I've spotted on the garden.

Ariadne xx

[CLKD]

Take the mirror away.  Or he will wear himself out  ........ DH has dug over part of the garden this morning, it always look fresh and tidy without plants in it