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Watching the birds

wiflib

wiflib

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,966
Location
Bristol
Type of diabetes
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Tablets (oral)
On my left are large patio doors. Just outside of those doors is a terrace. Beyond the terrace are two huge cherry trees. Said terrace has some rather large weeds growing up through the gaps and because this side of the house is never used (A47 outside at the bottom of the hill) I rarely have an excuse to go out there and tidy those weeds up. Today, I remembered why I let them grow.

I have watched with awe a large group of chaffinches gather the fluffy seed heads and swoop clumsily back and forth to the trees.

Life is grand.

wiflib
 
Awww so cute wiflib :-)

I love observing the birds, I have 3 cats that have never been outside (we have created a paradise for them indoors though and they truly dont suffer) so I feed the birds though from my windowsill and the birds love it, the cats used to jump up on the inside of the window (of course) their teeth chattering and heads darting back and forth but the birds are no longer scared, they were in the beginning though, but I think word has gone around the bird world that the cats cant touch them, its so funny, I swear the birds laugh at the cats, yeah they must do because the cats then jump off the windowsill again go about their business in the flat and look totally outraged for a while.

Also I have hair extensions and after a couple of months they start moulting LOL like cats and dogs I am, and I put the hair outside on the windowsill in spring and the birds come and pick the hair up,they use it to build their nests for their little babies :-)
 
Where I live,in the Thames Valley, red kites have become common. I see at least one Every day ( the same one?) Magnificent!!! I've seen them displaying and i've seen the rooks chase them and heard them screech as they get away.
 
Red kites soar lazily on the thermals over my house most days reminding you of cowboy films!!!We have a blackbirds nest in the hedge and swallows in the eves.There are little flocks of sparrows that chatter noisily in the garden all day.
 
Although I am spitting distance from the A47 the area is rich in trees and green stuff with a woods close by so I get to see a plethora of wildlife. Even the magpies don't bother me anymore.

I just wish the war against the bl**dy slugs and snails would not rage on. I have a jar of beautiful but plant destroying lily beetles which are easier to catch than those other slippery b*ggers.

Oh, the peas seem to be doing well this year but the courgettes are still pathetically small plants. Poor last year too. The runner beans are just sitting there, looking at me guiltily but the strawbs are not bad. Never mind, the days will be getting shorter soon :wink:

wiflib
 
That took me back to my childhood, wiflib. We used to overlook a disused,overgrown nursery and every year it was a sea of colour with Sweet Williams and various other plants. I also remember many thistles and I was heavily into bird-watching as a child and I remember being so excited to see many goldfinches swaying on the thistle heads, as they tried to peck out the seeds. I rarely seem to see goldfinches these days or the even more handsome bullfinches but I still get a buzz out watching the birds. I waited 50 years to spot a kingfisher for the first time last year and the speed it flew quite stunned me. I wish I had the patience to capture such things with my camera.
 
Nice pic., Ian.We have **** nesting in our box in the garden. I think the great tit has the most recognisable of all birdsongs.......rather like a squeaky bicycle pump.
We have a tiny garden now but still seem to attract a few rare birds. We even had a hen harrier a couple of years ago...I can still see his owl-like beady eyes looking at me, in my mind.
 
We seem to have blackbirds singing on every rooftop. I enjoy challenging them as in "Duelling Banjoes." Sometimes they give up & fly off, even though they whistle better than I do.
 
:( Sadly nature can also have us witness some sad things. A magpie flew off earlier with a baby bird in it's beak and when I went to investigate, there are other dead baby birds on my front lawn. A blackbird is letting out loud distress calls and flying madly round the garden.I really could cry.
 
one of our train lines has a speed limit of 25 mph and there are a lot of sparrowhawks living nearby.as you are driving along they swoop down in front of the engine and glide about 2 feet above the ground.they are waiting for the noise of the engine to disturb any mice or rats and they just pounce on them.it really is a sight to see.although we have another line close by and the speed is 70 mph and ive had a couple of them try it but with a different ending :( at the moment there are a lot of baby foxes and baby rabbits around too really nice to see :)
 
Sadly, the local cats have murdered our blackbirds but, for the first time I can remember, a nightingale has found its way here. I don't think the poor chap has found a mate yet, as it never shuts up!
 
While sitting in my bedroom window last Autumn, I watched a very determined squirrel dragging something large and white up one of the trees in the garden. Whatever it was, it kept snagging on the bark of the tree, but despite some very audible swearing the squirrel persisted, finally getting it to where its drey is. Thought no more about it until a day or so later when I realised the agricultural fleece which I had protected my hibiscus with had disappeared! :? The penny soon dropped, and I realised this years crop of young will have a 13 tog duvet in the drey, :lol:
 
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