Bits of this and bits of that.

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.)

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)

Do come along to buy some fresh eggs and a stroll down the lane :o)

I forgot to get the eggs yesterday, so armed with my trusty camera I though you may like to join me.

Out through my nice new tall gate onto the pathway and into the lane and down to the dairy farm on the left

in through the gate and there you will find a table 

with a box and a tin

Inside the box there is half a dozen free range eggs

if you need more, just ask at the farm :o)

There's two lovely blue hens eggs today - I think they're from Araucana hens(?) I've seen them call Easter Eggers too.

If you peek over the fence there are some free rangers there.

and of course there's the handsome rooster with his girls - 

I often hear his crowing :o)

I'm pleased to say there were also some rescued ex-battery hens just behind.

I walk on a little further to visit some of the dairy herd

Billy bull is in with these girls too - he was certainly bellowing at me!

I was glad the metal fence was between us ;o)

On the other side of the lane were some more sweet girls, 

and it looked to me like they needed milking.

As I turned I saw the 'finger post' at the junction had seen better days..

It certainly needs straightening and a coat of paint!

I strolled back home and decided to check the hog boxes to see how many had booked in last night, just one tucked up asleep - here's a peep,

snuggled up tightly fast asleep :o)

Hope you enjoyed walking with me.

Enjoy the weekend :o)

x x x

P.S.

Thank you dear Mary for the inspiration :o)

New additions

Hi folks, once again I apologise for my lack of posts.  Last time I mentioned that I was going to release another two hedgehogs from the local hedgehog rescue centre.   

You probably know that I have already built and installed three hedgehog houses into the garden, but because two of them were already inhabited I'd decided to build a fourth one :o)

(I really should make a plan of them in case any of you would like to make one too.)

Anyway, here is the completed house.

It has been placed at the side of the conservatory (as this is the only place left to fit one in!)

Joan arrived with two boxes of precious cargo on the 6th May, and I transferred the two ladies into my own (cat) carriers so that they were secure until darkness fell.  They were then put into the darkened laundry until the evening came and I could release them into the world.  They had both been hand reared and didn't really have much knowledge of the outside world.  As you know I name all the hogs I release and of course these little girls have names to, so may I introduce the two little wrigglers:

Mavis

(who now sports a white spot on each side)

and her buddy

Myrtle
(who has an inverted 'T' on her behind)

Little Myrtle again.

Once darkness came I placed each one into a new home, and waited for them to pluck up the courage to come out and investigate.  Mavis was the bravest, and was out and about devouring food within five minutes, Myrtle however was a little more shy and it was around 30 minutes before she came out to investigate.

Here's Mavis

Just about to hoover up the pile of mealworms.

(Sorry the shot is out of focus)

Since then Mavis has been a regular in the garden, either by over-nighting and also feeding.

Myrtle must have ranged further away as I've only seen her twice since release.

Archie is also a regular, and likes the ladies ;o)

You can probably, just make out his stripe - he's the hog on the left, the other one I've called Spotty as he has a lighter spot on his right bum cheek.  They met up in the feeding box.

I've started to keep a log of each hog I see, and also the over-nighters sleeping in the boxes.

It appears we have a neon 'Travelhog' sign placed by the gate, visible to hedgehogs only!  They seem to spend a night or two in one box, then disappear for another couple of nights when another moves in, in it's place.  Some nights, like last night all the boxes were empty.  It's amusing me no-end :o)

Here's another few visitors...I wonder if Wilfrid, Winifrid or May (some of last years releases) are amongst them?  I'm afraid I no longer have any way of knowing as their paint marks would have long since rubbed off.

Who ever they are, they're in good condition :o)

* * *

I have been amusing myself this afternoon trying to get shots of Mommy and Daddy Robin as they frantically flit in and out of the nest feeding their brood.  We have no idea how many little ones there are as the ivy has now covered the hole completely.   Here are the better shots.

I was trying to get an 'action' in flight shot, sadly this is the best I could do:

and if you think that's bad, this was the worst!

So, help need please.  Some of you have the MOST astounding photographs of animals in action shots, come on - HOW DO YOU DO IT?  I use a Panasonic FZ38 set onto outdoor sport mode.  I've tried other settings but to no avail, can anybody point me in the right direction please?

Well, I truly hope I'm not boring you to death with my very own 'Nature Watching'.

I'll be back again as soon as I'm able, again please forgive me not visiting and commenting too often   I'm really missing visiting you, but some days I don't even get around to switching on the laptop at all.

Sending my very best wishes to you all.

x x

Remember this?

Our back garden 01st March this year after the new fence had been erected?  An awful lot of bare earth and no plants.

Well look at it now!  It's filled out a bit now.

I know the archway need trimming somewhat, but I was too late - we have house sparrows nesting there.

There's an arum lily in this little bed, the daffs come every year (over by now though) and the polyanthus are just filling the gap until lily returns.

The lush green leaves in the raised border is monks hood (aconite).  The rock that makes the border was once upon a time our fireplace.

A golden delicious (hubs favourite) apple tree on dwarf root stock in the blue planter

A peach in the foreground and cherry to the right (both on dwarf root stock)

The ivy growing up the garage...notice a hole about an inch from the top of the photo?

You may just see the robins eye peeping, she's sitting on eggs :o) (Possibly 4 to 6 eggs)

She will sit alone for up to 13 days until they incubate, the male has been very busy bringing her food.  Looking forward to baby robins.

I still have a clematis montana to plant and allow to scramble along the fence, another clematis to plant against the house wall along with three small holly bushes to put in.  I tend to fill borders with all sorts as I don't like to see bare earth.

Have a good week folks.

Spring has sprung.

Hello you lovely people, and thank you for all the lovely comments and emails I receive.

Some years ago South Staffs Council gave away small trees to residents (who applied for one)

as part of the Forest of Mercia planting, I was lucky enough to be awarded a Snowy Mespilus (Amelanchier Lamarckii).  I pruned it back quite hard in February before the sap was rising along with the verigated wigelia it sits along.  This afternoon was nice and sunny and the blossoms were opening..

They make me smile :o)

* * * 

I've only bought one item since my last post (see how good I'm getting),  it caught my eye as soon as I walked through the doors....

Lovely, hand carved wooden fungi  which stands about 8" tall and for £1.50 it came home with me.

* * * 

Of course there IS the promised hedgehog update.  All the released hogs have been spotted and the night of the 26th/26th April was a bumper one SIX HOGS visited!  I'm pretty sure that it was because it rained for the first time in many weeks and all the little invertebrates were out and about.

The night view from the door that night with the hogs food box in the foreground (I have plans to made a better one soon).  As you can see I have plenty of water out for both birds and mammals.

Can you see a stone hedgehog in left of centre?  On a very recent visit to a garden centre these were spotted at an AMAZING £10 each!  It's so heavy that I cannot lift it.  (I asked why they were SO cheap and was told that their supplier had sent them last year as an 'extra' to their order, the managers didn't like them and didn't put them on sale (?) They had repeatedly asked the suppler to collect them and in the end the supplier gave them credit for them and told them to do as they wished with them and so they sold them off....wish I'd have had another one too.

I've seen similar Owls in the garden centres for around £50.

Sweet Olivia made her first appearance looking happy and healthy :o)

Archie seemed bigger than ever!

(I just didn't get photos of them all.)

Sporting his stripe of course.

then there was a new arrival, a tiny little hog that must have survived the Winter somehow

It was snuffling about here under the old, leaky water butt.

(Such a sweet little face)

We also had my 'live in ' nameless lodger, and another local that I've christened 'Spot' due to a patch of pale spines on his bum!  And finally Otto called in too - a real party!

When I was in the garden this morning photographing the blossom I spotted another old friend in the ground feeder.

One of the wood mice that inhabit my dry stone wall, I'm so happy they are still thriving and not a bit of bother at all.

* * *

Well, I shall have to go as I still have to put out the hog and bird food.  

Hoping you are all well and have a great week!

Best wishes to all

xx

P.S.

I will soon have another TWO rescue hogs to release!