Hello folks! Hope you are all well.
Firstly, I'd like to say a big hello and welcome to my new followers (waves) it's great to see new faces here, and though my posting is somewhat intermittent I hope you enjoy them!
(I do try to contact you personally, but sometimes there isn't a link I can use.)
(I do try to contact you personally, but sometimes there isn't a link I can use.)
The weather has been lovely for the past couple of weeks and there has been a lot of catching up on jobs going on here at home. There have been visits to the doctors with Mom - still no news of when the Memory Clinic will FINALLY be in touch, but again they've been chased up. She is in much the same condition with her memory (or, lack of it!) and the battle continues as to weather or not daily tablets have been taken :o(
Life seems to pass by in a whirl with no time to sit and enjoy...anyway, I have managed to find a few bargains. It's been so long since I found them I've forgotten the cost, but I do know that none were over £3 (and I think Mom has problems!)
There was this dear mirror mosaic bird which stands around 4" tall
and
A Portmierion candlestick
Surprisingly, I found some Willow Pattern too ;o)
This 4" high sugar bowl (?) without a lid, soon to be filled with a small plant.
and finally..
You know I love glass...
A stained glass window hanger around 6" diameter,
and yes I do remember it cost me £1.50.
* * *
We have been feeding/caring for our hedgehogs as always, and we are having on average six visiting each night - and have had as many as eight! I'm afraid I have been remiss and not took many photos, but here's one I thought you may like.
She (Mavis) peeping round one of my compost bins.
All of the released hogs are visiting, and Archie is the one that comes every night...we hear his loud snuffling long before we see him!
The Bark butter I make for the birds is gobbled up in record time, especially by the starlings - BUT I do have a warning for you should you decide to make it too...
I have a sneaky feeling that it contains some sort of Starling Viagra, as last Sunday morning I was woken up early (5.35am) by the sound of loud, raucous birds calling and chattering in the garden. I decided to get up as it was SO loud, and greeting my eyes when I opened he blinds were SEVENTEEN young starlings and their parents - all tucking in to the bark butter! It was not unlike Hitchcock's The Birds ;o)
Here are just a few I managed to snap a few days later..
Of course, what comes with having so many birds visiting the garden?
This is two days worth :o(
UGH! You should(n't) see some of the plants...
Plans are afoot though, the bench has to be rebuilt as a lot of the wood has rotted, once done I have a cover for it so that we can always find a clean seat! The chair (2nd photo) has totally had it and is bound for the tip!
The house martins have finally arrived :o) We thought they were going to build a nest at the apex of the roof, but it wasn't to be. Here they are checking it out though.
They have nested on quite a few of the houses in the Crescent, so we can still enjoy their aerobatic swoops over the garden as they feed :o)
I also have frequent visits by a couple of Jackdaws who are certainly camera shy, I did however manage to get a couple of shots off the other morning through the bedroom window.
but it looks like this one is suffering from Avian Pox like the Great Tit I used to have visiting :o(
I shall report it to the RSPB as requested.
* * *
I'm glad to say that the resident Frogs are back in the pond. I have had some (huge) problems with the dreaded Blanket Weed, but have discovered a natural killer that works without harming the pond life. Cloverleaf Blanket Answer and then followed up with Pure Pond soft bio-degradable balls placed inside the filter once the water had cleared, both products were recommended by the aquatics centre I use . I will add the products to my new 'Recommended by me' page.
* * *
There have been lovely, warm evening when we've 'escaped' for a few hours over Cannock Chase
(just 4 miles from our home) and spotted some wildlife...
Sika Deer
Fallow Deer
Fallow Deer
A lonesome Rabbit
The best view I could get of a (rarely seen around here) Jay.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy these trips, they soothe the soul.
Well, that's it folks! All for now.
Best wishes
xxx
P.S.
Thank you for all your comments, I do love to receive them and read them all :o)
13 comments:
Lovely to hear from you and see a 'garden wildlife' report. You got some great photos of the deer, I used to love a walk on Cannock Chase when Dave lived that way. I saw some red deer out on the moors here on Sunday :)
It's nice to see a variety of animals here, shame about the Jackdaw though. I love your little mosaic birdy!
I've never been to Cannock Chase and I only live the other side of Birmingham I really must go and visit. My Dad has dementia, it's a terrible thing I understand what you are going through with your Mom ... Sarah x
Wonderful to read about your local wildlife and to catch up with the Hedgehogs. I love the photos of the House Martins checking out a potential nest site, and I can just imagine the noise from all those Starlings. The Deer are lovely, too - what a great place to have so close by.
You do attract such a wonderful variety of wildlife to the garden! Beautiful young starlings!
Getting away from it all is so important. You are lucky to have somewhere like Cannock Chase nearby. Enjoy.
Your posts are always so interesting! You have some great finds there. Love the bird and the candlestick!! Your wildlife photos are so great! Have a great week!
Lovely to see all the wildlife, so diferent ours.
Cannock Chase looks wonderful! How lovely to see all that wildlife in one place.
I forgot to mention that my daughter rescued a hedgehog the other day. It was in the middle of the High Street and she made her boyfriend stop the car so that she could retrieve him/her (we didn't get close enough to check it properly ;) ) I didn't really want her to move it too far away but there are absolutely no gardens or green places near to where he was. We brought him home and put him into the field and off he popped grunting to himself down the track. He appeared to be very healthy but was in huge peril - I've been worrying that she was wrong to remove him from that place but I don't think he'd have lasted very long otherwise.
What an array of wildlife, I really like the deer.
Rose...what heartwarmig pictures of mavis and the birds you have posted...I love to know that our wild friends are being cherished....
Love to you and the hogs and the birds and the deers!
d x
What lovely photo's you do get some lovely birds visiting your garden. And the Mavis photo is adorable! Hope things get sorted with the clinic for your Mum very soon.
I wasn't aware of Avian Pox -- although we do have to be on the lookout here for West Nile Virus.
Enjoyed your post today Rose. x
I liked the pics except for the birdy do do! My cousins had a grand time at The Chelsea Flower show, disappointed they did not see or hear any mention of hedgehogs!
Loved reading about the wildlife in your garden Rose. Bob stopped filling the front feeder whilst I was gone to protect the fig tree which is now loaded with fruit. Both birds and dastardly squirrels were using the tree as a perching/jumping off station. We're concerned they'd soon be chomping on the figs as they ripen if we continued feeding.
Love that Blue Willow sugar bowl - such a pretty shape. What type of plant will you place in it? I can see a dainty frondy fern perhaps, just green with the beautiful blue.
Well here I am back in the cottage and needing to do so much BUT yesterday put my back out whilst vacuuming! Am in pain today - thankfully this didn't happen whilst on my adventure, hopping in out of boats and trudging up the sides of steaming volcanoes!!!!! Lifenis strange.
Thanks dear for the comments recently - you are a brick to stay with me when I'm missing in action - thanks so much.
Hugs - Mary
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