"Diary Update 19/01/2012 Tommyshortlegs"
22 comments
Hello all very sorry but not so much going on today. Had three builder’s vans pull up on the other side of my garden fence from about 11 this morning. Much needed repairs going on in a nearby block of flats plus updating their aerials ready for the digital switch over. I heard the wren and saw a very short fleeting glimpse of her looking for a quieter place to hunt for food….. I did however get a photo of my old faithful Mr Robin and even the Pied wagtail but very unusual for my garden, not a single Woodpigeon. It could also be due to the fact of another mild day so chance of a wider spread of foraging. Hope you don’t mind I will add a few pictures from previous days and years
My Little Old Faithful Robin RB
Even the Robin has a fair-sized tail
Blue tit blending in with the Buddleia
Checking out the bars and away in.
No different from us humans using a shark cage not only do the bars protect the contents from the larger feeders but gives the smaller birds protection from predators I wash and disinfect the feeder on a regular basis but looks like I need to give a coat of pet safe paint.
Pied wagtail looking glum though it has the chance of eat and drink as much as you can.
Even the Woodpigeons that I could see in a distant tree seemed to be roosting there from about 2 in the afternoon
until when I took the photo around 4 p.m.
WILL POST SOME OLDER PHOTO UNTIL THINGS PICK UP
cold weather forecast for weekend so birds become more dependent on their human friends.
A warm summer evening in late August and I had one of the more colourful plumaged visitors, a Jay looking for some worms and some early emerging crane fly (daddy long-legs) Spending their growing life as the leather-jacket happily munching through the roots of my lawn. The adults were early in2011 as were the house spider normally the cause of my screams of panic in September.
The following evening the Jay was to return.
The evening of her last visit the M40 was exceptionally quiet so as the Jay flew off in to the woods I could just make out some young Jays that had flown the nest.
The Jay’s visits are replaced by another shy visitor, a Mistle Thrush(Storm Cock as they can be heard singing in the height of a summer storm.)nesting in my neighbours humongous leylander trees. I can remember the lady of the house just heeling these plants in until she found a more permanent site for them. Now they are a haven for the birds and squirrels and must be home to hundreds of insects and spiders but the downside is a permanent sun-block.
Next evening I took a photo from my front garden viewing the trees growing in the neighbours back garden to give you some idea of the height of the trees. One young Mistle Thrushes waiting for the parents return.
A Wood pigeon carries on with the oiling of it’s feathers stretching back to the parson’s nose (oil gland near where the tail feathers grow out from.) while two young thrushes seem to take comfort in the other bird.
Such a shame some fellow humans enjoy their 12 days of Christmas but ruin the remaining 353.242199 days of the year. No one looking so it’s a "Quick Fly-tip right across the entrance into our woods with no regard to walkers and their pets and also wild life. They are in my mind a load of toss pots. A few minutes and the green recycle bin would have had an addition of a chopped up tree for future compost. Try http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/recycling-at-christmas
The road in the back ground is the M40 Motorway near Junction 3 , the far side is London bound that also heads towards the M25
For you squirrel lovers a grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) origination was from north east America
Must not forget why I joined GOU and it’s sister site Ispyabird, it was for my love of flowers. The added bonus is the links to other hobbies. Certainly takes one’s mins of your illness and with me it is sometimes tiring but keeps my mind active. Thank you to all of you for nice comments from both sites. I had some wonderful inspiration from both sites too many people to name personally. Thank you Kath and Sheilar the very first people to say hello
20 Jan, 2012
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Comments
I enjoy seeing your pics of the English birds. It makes me realize how much I miss seeing them as we get the same birds in Ireland but I've lived so long in LA I miss them. I don't see many birds around here. Well, besides seal gulls pigeons and crows and the annoying doves that try to nest on my balcony every year. Sorry but the doves annoy me. I see the odd Crain and a few other birds when I go for nature walks. Like the Least Terns on the beach but none seems as intriguing as the birds of the home land.
I love the Robin, adore the wagtails and the yellow and blue Tits, the black bird and the Thrush. So it's lovely seeing your pics. Thanks!
20 Jan, 2012
What a very interesting blog it makes you appreciate how lucky we are to have so many interesting creatures visit us. You`ve captured some great bird pictures. I sat yesterday watching a tiny Jenny wren. you can`t but admire how such tiny little birds cope with such freezing weather, and there was I in woolies and the central heating on.
20 Jan, 2012
Morning tommy, good blog again. I am always happy to see a Jay, they don't stay still long enough for me to get a photo...I just thought that you don't seem to get many Magpies, or do you? I can easily cout groups of 10+ every day here.
20 Jan, 2012
we get magpies and jays but jay is too quick for the photo
20 Jan, 2012
Same here Sticki just a flash of colour and he's gone.
20 Jan, 2012
lovely colour mind you
20 Jan, 2012
Never seen a jay here and only the occasional thrush. I love the thrush's song.
But I'm very lucky here, with woods and fields all around, to get such a variety of species coming to feed. Dozens today because of the cold and snow. Ah well, the ski centre up the road will be happy.
20 Jan, 2012
ski centre up the road oji? how amazing.
can you see the mountains or is it a man made ski run?
20 Jan, 2012
Another inspiring blog, Tommy, and lovely photos, too!
20 Jan, 2012
I'm more or less IN the mountains, Sticki!
20 Jan, 2012
oh wow, you lucky lucky thing.
20 Jan, 2012
Lovely blog , Tommy . The leylandii is certainly a mixed blessing , but it is a haven for miriads of creatures .
20 Jan, 2012
Aw Tommy, you're such a lovely person. X
PS enjoyed your blog!
20 Jan, 2012
Lovely pictures again Tommy. The thrush is beautiful - last time I saw one was in a motorway carpark just outside Birmingham. The pied wagtails never come into the garden but I see them running along the pavements in quite busy streets here. Strange.
20 Jan, 2012
the pied wagtails used to parade the playgrounds after the children had gone at one school i worked in, perhaps they liked the crisps that were spilt??
20 Jan, 2012
Aww Tommy Sheilar talks to herself, plants, the people on the bus..;0)
20 Jan, 2012
Sheilar nice lady Pimpernel with the same Forces up bringing, it was her and Kath that gave me my initial support in adding photos etc .
20 Jan, 2012
I know Tommy.. Sheilar said hello to me as well as soon as I joined as well.. My folks were RAF
20 Jan, 2012
Good morning Tom fantastic photos the birds are amazing .
So sorry not been in touch to comment been so busy with my blogs etc
And been out walking a lot .
Will reply later to your private message you sent me.
Take care I promise you will get through this .
Keep trying were you right or left handed .
My Dad was right but I manage with his stroke to get him to write with his left hand so he could still sign his name.
Everyone use try this as we never know when we might need to.
21 Jan, 2012
Don`t remember ever seeing a Jay other than in a pic, we do get a lot of birds and have our own residing in the trees and hedges, plus lots of visitors varying as to what season we are in...
Lovely pics Tommy..
21 Jan, 2012
To Kath,
I'm right handed, I have suffered similar experiences of
what 's going on now for the last six years spending the odd week in hospital.Back in 91 I had been feeling quite unwell for a week, my wife even thought that I had been drinking. I saw my doctor who rang someone for advice and that was the first spell that I had in hospital with a TIA. I was advised to heed the warning. Been doing what I am told ever since but to be honest when I was younger I felt fit as a fiddle, enjoyed the odd pint,loved going out dancing with my wife and enjoying the kids, you never think that it will happen to you. When in hospital last I excised my left leg as much as possible. Nothing worse than willing your left leg to lift and nothing happens. About learning to be ambidextrous, I was amazed watching the TV cook Michael Caines, who lost his right arm in a road accident and how he got on but the real eye opener was when I was in the RAF spending a week in the Forces Hospital at RAF Halton. A fellow patient was a Royal Marine who had unfortunately lost his fingers and a leg in an explosion while serving in the Middle East.. He got ready himself to go to the NAAFI and even got some lads to rig up a coat hanger that could put a a fag to his mouth and also had the capability to light a zippo lighter by rolling the flint wheel on his trousers . I often spoke to him and he even joked about his predicament , he said as long as he could have a piddle with out any ones help he was happy. If ever I feel rough I always think of some of the other patients that I have met in my younger years, so many a million times worse than me and I soon feel better.
21 Jan, 2012
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Lovely photos and thank you for all the extra and interesting information you give.
I shall clean out the rest of my bird feeders today.
I have a window that looks straight into woodland that does not belong to us but no problem to put some food for the birds, any top tips for what is best? We also have a lot of squirrels who will take what they can.
20 Jan, 2012