"Little Sister Is Watching You"

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I try as often as I can to take daily pictures of wild life from my kitchen window. Surprising how enjoyable it can be sharing a natter with the wife at the same time drinking a nice cup of tea and a few bikkies and at the same time discussing what bird was that. Often have the little granddaughter standing on a step pretend washing up in the sink with the wife. The little girl will be 3 in March but already learning the name’s of birds including “That Blooming Robin Again.”
When my wife and I both worked I often finished work first so use to get on doing my share of the housework, hoovering, cooking and even ironing. Perhaps I’m old fashioned and believe a marriage works both ways. I knew blokes who deemed it okay for the husband to finish work when he clocked off but okay for the wife to clock off at her workplace then carry on working when she got home. Sit down together when you both can, I’d be lost without my Linda now, perhaps with a carer and the first to admit it. Best 40 years and 9 months that I’ve had. 40 years 2 month married and 7 months before we married.
Today I add more pictures taken of birds as they arrived for their feed. I found that most wait until I have swept the old seed up and change the water. I rattle the feed tin before sprinkling on the path and lawn for the ground feeder. Before I can close the door the Coal Tit darts to the fat feeder before the Robin has had chance to notice.

The said fat feeder.

Another Coal Tit lands on the path. There are usually two that visit me on a daily visit. They always arrive from the same direction, my neighbour’s very tall leylander trees. I find that even birds of the same species have their own preferences . One prefers the fat feeder the other prefers the feed on the ground. When they have both fed they head back to their sheltering leylander tree.

Next the wagtail, do any of you know why but I only ever see these in the garden during the winter months always hanging around the water dish, often sitting on the rim just staring at the water or their good reflected looks

Little Sister Taking Stock

Checking on the feed

Hmm!! Don’t know what the fuss is about this Nijar Seed_

Everything okay, so will clock off duty until my afternoon shift.

What The Heck! A Monster Coming Over The Hill
I’m aiming at 2 birds in the bush , a shadow crosses my eye and a squirrel makes way to have a nosey at me.

Chavvy Chaff

Miss Blackbird comes to town

Savvy Dunnock meets a Wag.

Woody say hello too.

My feet are getting a bit smelly!. Amazing how birds have adapted their feet as two hands and the beak as a thumb
Ever brought or made the wrong size suet balls for those squirrel proof suet ball feeders. I was forever cutting them in half to fit the I had and idea. I gently softened some suet balls in the Microwave then added to an old preheated saucepan. I’m not allowed to cook when alone in the house so Lin always watches over me but I do practice new methods to see if it would be feasibly safe to cook when at home alone. I put the cooker ring on to heat up then turned it off before placing the saucepan onto the switched off ring. I move the saucepan then repeat the process. That way the power is always off when the saucepan is on the ring. I have tried leaving a stew on once as the pan cooled down and the stew we were cooking never burnt (I once had a mini-stroke when I was frying food. Luckily my wife arrived home from work early that day and made things safe. I had managed to switch off the main cooker switch. I had to spend a week in the stroke clinic after that episode)
That was bit long winded so back to the idea of mine as shown in the following photos:

I tightly cling film the out side of the central feeding tube leaving one end open

I add the softened suet balls with the addition of some lard and meal worms and bacon fat and bird feed and rolled porridge oats to a heated saucepan, then proceed to gently stir on the switched off hot cooker ring.

When soft enough (not so hot as to melt the cling film) I carefully fill the central cling filmed tube. Gently tamp down the feed by gently tapping the tube onto the upturned washing bowl. You will notice I have used a blue carrier bag. This is to keep your drains free of fat and nut and can also be used as wrap when cooling down in the fridge or freezer.

Showing the wrapped feeder prior to cooling. Note how clean the up turned bowl is

When fat ingredients are hard enough remove from fridge/freezer, discard the carefully removed blue bag and cling film and re-assemble the Suet Roll Feeder

Hang the Newly Named Suet Roll Feeder With Squirrel Guard
down the opposite end of the hedge line. This will give the other smaller birds a chance to avoid confrontation with the resident Robin. The proof of the pudding is in the eating so soon as I get a photo I will post for you.

Yes! The Suet Roll Feeder method worked. Thank you Mr Coal tit.

Bottoms Up!! Last drink of the Day

A Polite message to young and old. Going back to the late 70s I was still enjoying my new vocation as a dustman after serving for a few years in the Royal Air Force as a Cook.
One cold February morning I went to the back of a house to collect the rubbish from the dustbin ( before black bags and wheelie bins). As I was lifting the lid off the bin I heard a cry for help. I thought that I said that without moving my lips. I heard the cry again and looking down the garden I made out some slippered stocking legs and feet. I went to investigate and found a lady in her 80s but I was unable to lift her as being polite she must have had to much breakfast that day so I had to call my fellow dustcart crew members to assist. Luckily the local GP was just down the road from the poor dear so they soon took over the care of the lady. The elderly lady was a fond bird lover and always fed the birds her scraps from her mealtime plates. This day and I bet a lot of us have done it, she pops outside with the plate, no coat and still donning indoor slippers. Well the slippers lived up to their name. She slipped and fell in between a 2 rows of old and tall brussel sprout stems and could not get up. It was only me hearing her that stopped her freezing to death as she lived by herself. So please for the sake of a couple of minutes, dress in the correct foot ware and clothing before venturing out side to feed your birds and wild life. If alone I always arrange for a close neighbour or friend to ring if the wife is out just to check.

• 16 Jan, 2012
• 15 likes

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