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Post by Rosefriend on Nov 3, 2014 17:54:58 GMT
Even a head of state sheds (his-her) dignity with a face full of spider-web. Hahah - that is very very true coppice !!! |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 4, 2014 5:30:05 GMT
It's always lovely to look up and see them Rosefriend is'nt it.  |
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Post by theinsidegardener on Nov 10, 2014 21:00:05 GMT
Don't normally come on this board as I'm afraid of what I might find on it!! But I'm glad I did - Chuckles, your little bird is so cute and looks to have the perfect habitat in your garden.   Rosefriend, I love spiders webs but absolutely freak out when I see the creators!!   |
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Post by Jilly on Nov 11, 2014 8:22:24 GMT
Beautiful Rosefriend, I love spiderswebs when they're all perfect like that, not so much when they're stuck in my hair after a walk down the garden though  |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 15, 2014 10:12:33 GMT
Every year since 2009 a little Thrush has visited my garden. This morning I saw him for the 1st time this year, he's very early, normally it's end of November or even into December before I see him. I'm delighted.
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Post by Tig on Dec 13, 2014 16:39:06 GMT
I forgot to get some more peanuts so stuck the remains of a multigrain loaf out for the birds, there has been a lot of activity although the starlings have found it now ....  The robin has been a regular visitor, not sure it was amused with the newcomers though  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Dec 14, 2014 9:51:55 GMT
Love the starlings - I miss then here when they leave and it is the first sign of spring/summer arriving to see them in the garden... we have a robin in the garden - right little fighter he is too - he and the blackbirds often have an argument as to who goes on the bird table first...  - good shot Tig,  |
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Post by Jilly on Dec 14, 2014 11:20:13 GMT
That's a great shot Tig,  But I love this one too, you could use him as a Christmas card csmile |
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 15, 2014 6:08:58 GMT
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Post by Chuckles on Dec 15, 2014 17:18:32 GMT
Great pics Tig, I saw them when you posted but didnt have time to comment. The Robin gets a from me |
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Post by owdboggy on Jan 4, 2015 13:18:03 GMT
This Buzzard has taken to sitting in various places around the garden. This is as close as I can get before it flies though.  |
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 4, 2015 14:01:33 GMT
This Buzzard has taken to sitting in various places around the garden. This is as close as I can get before it flies though. Brilliant photo, well captured OB I wonder if he/she will be looking for your moles, they do eat small mammals don't they although I'm not sure if moles would be a viable option, saying that they do surface occasionaly as I've seen them on a few occasions in my garden and buzzards do work the ground for food as well as swoop on prey. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jan 4, 2015 20:03:52 GMT
This Buzzard has taken to sitting in various places around the garden. This is as close as I can get before it flies though. Brilliant photo, well captured OB I wonder if he/she will be looking for your moles, they do eat small mammals don't they although I'm not sure if moles would be a viable option, saying that they do surface occasionaly as I've seen them on a few occasions in my garden and buzzards do work the ground for food as well as swoop on prey. Good shot owdboggy - you did well to get so close... |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 5, 2015 6:13:08 GMT
Well done owdboggy thanks for sharing. They would eat a mole or even a rabbit. |
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Post by andy on Jan 8, 2015 5:48:30 GMT
I have been trying to get Goldfinches into the garden at work for 15 years now without any luck.
Imagine my absolute joy today when i saw the first one....followed by another 50 or 60 !!!!!
They were feeding on "stuff" on some of the Elms in the garden.
My favourites but no photos i'm afraid.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2015 6:16:52 GMT
andy I got them into my garden about 4 years ago now and they've stayed ever since. They're incredible to see, their little red faces and colourful wings are a delight. Mine come only for the feeder with sunflower hearts in it, more expensive than other bird feeds but they're worth it. I had heard they like niger seed and bought a niger feeder and seeds before they came but they never went near it, they do love the sunflower hearts and I have sometimes 14or so of them, sitting on the telephone wires etc waiting their turn.
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Post by Jilly on Jan 8, 2015 11:30:04 GMT
That's brilliant andy, I think Goldfinches aren't very common at all down here, I've been in my house about 20 years & had a bird feeder for most of that time, & I only saw my first couple on the Sunflower hearts last autumn. I didn't have my camera handy either. Think sunflower hearts are definitely worth the money Ladygardener, luckily they nearly always seem to be on special offer at my GC, but what with those & the meal worms I think the birds cost more to feed than the cats . Most of the time I don't get to see the birds on the feeders anyway, as it's dark when we leave for work & again when we get home & at the weekend, if I'm out in the garden, they don't come & just sit around waiting for me to go in & leave them to it.... I could be getting all sorts & I'd never even know |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 8, 2015 12:12:52 GMT
Jilly, I agree the hearts are worth the money, it's well worth it to see the little birds eating them. The Robin and Chaffinches feed off them too. I get the mealyworms as well and throw them around the garden for the ground feeders to have as well as suet pellets and fat blocks and fat balls. You're right it costs nearly as much as the cat food lol.  Even if it's dark when you get home, you can be sure they're there feeding happily Jilly.
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 4, 2015 9:13:41 GMT
As I have said recently we seem to have "wolf" problems. There is one wolf that has started coming it the villages and small towns around us and is showing none or very little fright for people...it could be the wolf that has ripped 60 sheep already.. People go walking in the woods around here and are coming face to face with it and you can shout and wave your arms until you are blue it just stares at you apparently... This is the one..  A beautiful animal actually...   Here it is in the little town near us....after being seen 2 km's away from us..  Cries of "kill it, kill it" have gone out , only to be drowned by "save it, save it "... The qualified hunters are champing at the bit but sense has prevailed and the wolf is to be sedated, checked over to see if it has any illnesses to account for it not being in the slightest bothered by human presence. They it will get a collar and taken to an area that is well away from people and villages and tracked....only in a dire situation will it be shot. I have shown these pics before but this pack lives just down the road from us but seems to be happy to stay in the woods and avoid humans..   |
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Post by Ladygardener on Mar 4, 2015 15:56:28 GMT
Wow Rosefriend I don't remember seeing those pics before. They're incredibly beautiful and wise and seem to have so much history behind their eyes don't they. I wonder why that one is so tame, for it's own sake, it should be afraid of humans. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 4, 2015 16:06:27 GMT
Wow Rosefriend I don't remember seeing those pics before. They're incredibly beautiful and wise and seem to have so much history behind their eyes don't they. I wonder why that one is so tame, for it's own sake, it should be afraid of humans. The wolves have been brought back into our woods and of course are becoming more Ladygardener,, - this one could be a rogue....at the moment nobody knows. It was first seen near a "Wood/forest Kindergarten. I don't know what they are called in the UK - it is a Kindergarten that is based in the woods (large block house) and the kids are outside in any wind and weather - nothing to do with the Waldorf schools...can't remember us having them when I was in the UK... Then it was seen in the next town, then bypassed our village and was seen a couple of km's away, and and... I am trying to get hold of the film that is being shown of it..beautiful animal but if they can't catch it then it will be killed - it shows no nervousness at all - goes towards humans even..strange... |
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Post by Jilly on Mar 4, 2015 18:31:39 GMT
So beautiful Rosefriend, it's typical though isn't it, it was humans that chose to reintroduce the wolf pack so close to human population, then all of a sudden as soon as there's a problem the answer is to kill the animal. I would have thought it was obvious that there'd be the odd rogue (probably rejected from the main pack) that goes further afield hunting for food... did no one think of that one. A bit like foxes in this country, they banned hunting, with no other form of control in place & now instead of people being happy to see them, they're considered a pest  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 4, 2015 18:41:39 GMT
So beautiful Rosefriend, it's typical though isn't it, it was humans that chose to reintroduce the wolf pack so close to human population, then all of a sudden as soon as there's a problem the answer is to kill the animal. I would have thought it was obvious that there'd be the odd rogue (probably rejected from the main pack) that goes further afield hunting for food... did no one think of that one. A bit like foxes in this country, they banned hunting, with no other form of control in place & now instead of people being happy to see them, they're considered a pest This is the problem Jilly - some of the farmers are making a fuss, although they can have free electric fencing and get paid for any animals that have been killed (DNA proven) and they are still not happy...before the Wolves were introduced the farmers were happy about it all... As you say there are bound to be the odd rogue, this animal is a young one it seems - it could be that he is just testing his skills/strength - the same way a pubescent teenager would....I do wonder if it isn't found dead very soon though....!! |
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Post by Ladygardener on Mar 5, 2015 8:01:08 GMT
I hope this all has a happy ending but I would'nt like to bet on it.
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 5, 2015 8:17:27 GMT
I hope this all has a happy ending but I would'nt like to bet on it. Neither would I Ladygardener, - there was a report yesterday that it had been killed, but this morning in the newspaper they said that it had been a hoax. It is now on the other side of us (5km's away) having done a huge circle...this was yesterday...  I have to admit looking around before I go outside... |
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Post by Ladygardener on Mar 5, 2015 8:21:32 GMT
There's just something old and wise about their eyes is'nt there.
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 5, 2015 8:23:43 GMT
There's just something old and wise about their eyes is'nt there. Yes, there is Ladygardener, - if only he could talk !! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 8, 2015 6:26:09 GMT
A bit of an update - the wolf is still wandering about and also getting into gardens in our immediate area - we are opening the door carefully if we go to the bin etc when it has gone dark. The opinion is that the young wolf is trying to get his own pack together but also a vet seems to think that he could have been fed and that is why he isn't afraid of humans... Some of the farmers have brought in Donkeys to help protect their sheep...  |
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Post by Jilly on Mar 8, 2015 11:07:43 GMT
What do the do Rosefriend, issue them with machine guns  No seriously I have heard that before, something about donkeys being tougher than they look. I have visions of you & OH venturing out of the back door with a bit of steak in your hands for distraction purposes. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Mar 8, 2015 11:42:55 GMT
What do the do Rosefriend, issue them with machine guns No seriously I have heard that before, something about donkeys being tougher than they look. I have visions of you & OH venturing out of the back door with a bit of steak in your hands for distraction purposes. Hahahahahaha- well I have seen them in action actually and blimey I would rather be near a wolf...they eee-haw so loudly and go after the wolves lashing out with their hoof - apparently they can kill them easily..... I had a couple of chop bones in newspaper the other night to put in the bin and I said if the wolf is there he'd be having them - OH said - he'll give them back, I ate all the meat off them !! |
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