Hi

Nice pics SueA

One of the probs with this government (there are lots) is lack of communication. There will now be people out there killing squirrels when they do not have to. There will be people out there who were not informed that they must not release caught ones somewhere else, who will not be aware that they can now do that. Why do issues like this have to be a sort of word of mouth thing!! Its the same with chemicals that have been withdrawn for killing weeds and stuff. Why don't they put things like that in national newspapers so everyone will know about it.

What most people used to do with trapped squirrels was to put the trap with the squirrel inside in to a water butt, and at least that was a quick way of going. Anyone that feels the need to use a hammer must have a mental problem. But with some areas of the present society of course that would be a seen as something normal. There will still be people using hammers even if the law changed to say it was a criminal offence. Maybe what they should have done when the greys started taking over was to have a cull to even things up a bit. The brown of course being our native. Too late now I think there would be the same for it as against it. When you go to a park and they come up to you for some nuts they are very cute. When you are at home and they are digging up your bulbs and causing havoc, they are not so cute. Live and let live I suppose.

Bazza 

Hi all

Well I finally got a reply from the rspb regarding missing birds. Got a nice e mail with an attachment some six pages long. The jist of it is..

Changes in weather conditions and the fast approaching breeding season. Harsh weather results in birds saving energy by sheltering from the elements. Breeding season brings changes to their distribution finding territories, and diet switching from bird seed to natural food like insects and worms. There is also a mention about birds at some times of the year going in to flocks. They may visit a garden as a flock so obviously there will be more than when the flock splits up. As I said some six pages long of very informative info, so too big to  post it all here.

Bazza 

Hi Bazza

Thank goodness the mystery is solved!

 I have been making bird "cakes".  No, not with the birds - what I did was save up all the excess dripping from roasts, then melted it down and mixed in some old stale museli - the organic sort, no sugar or anything but loads of fruit and nuts, some chopped up dates that we had left over from Christmas (who ever eats the dates anyway?), packed it into half coconut shells and put it in the fridge to set.  I had too much for the shells so got a net that lemons came in, split it and draped it over a bowl and poured the rest of it over it so it made a sort of hammock, then put that in the fridge to set.  Then I hung them all up in trees near the back windows.  The birds were a bit suspicious to start with but soon realised it was food and in one week have taken nearly all of it.  I am going to start again soon and will use the old stale porrage oats I got to use over the winter but since we have not had a proper winter, didn't use.  Cheep (sorry about the pun - couldn't resist!) and cheerful, no waste, no expenditure and all of us happy! Thought you might all like to know about this, unless of course you have all been doing it anyway.

Judith 

SueA

Hi

Sorry I have not been here for a couple of days. Yes it was nice to get the reply eventually and about six pages of added info, which I must print off. Isn't Manchester supposed to be the wettest city funny your birds haven't got web feet and frog faces!!

Judith

Hi

You sound to me as being a bit of an entrepreneur lol. I can imagine you with your little production line going in the kitchen. You could set out a little stall at the side of the road and make a fortune. How do you think Island started!!, just like that.

Bazza 

Hi all

Well I saw the strangest thing today. Looking out of my kitchen window and I could see some sort of flapping going on out the corner of my eye. I thought it might be an injured bird but to my surprise it was a pair of starlings  fighting. They each had one claw around the other birds beak with the other claw clamped around the others foot. This did not leave much room for maneuvering so all they could do was roll around trying to get untangled. They must have covered 12-14 foot just sort of rolling about. This was going on for about half an hour and I thought one is going to kill the other. I was about to go outside and break it up when one bird suddenly broke free and flew away with the other in hot pursuit. I wonder what nark's a starling that much that he intends to kill for it?? Unless of course they were hubby and wife and it was just a domestic!!

Bazza 

I take it that due to the time of year they must have been fighting over a lady Bazza, she was probably sitting in a tree nearby thinking 'typical men!'

That sounds like a long time though for them to be fighting, maybe they actually had got their claws stuck together & couldn't pull themselves apart, they do squark & argue a lot though at the best of times don't they.

I saw a couple of wrens fighting a few weeks ago at Ness Botanic Gardens & they were wrestling all over the floor but it was over in a couple of seconds, I got a pic. but it's not very good as I had to snap quick.

Anyone else got one Robin in their garden?

SueA

Hi

Well usually when they come in to the garden they come as a mini flock. Maybe 10 or more.They all appear to get on together and don't squabble as such even if one of them pinches some food off another one. They must have come in to the garden fighting. I got the impression that they were trying to kill each other but were clasping each others beaks to stop any pecking. It may be one of those things that we cant find an answer to. 

Your pic is quite good I can see the action there. Have you seen my robin thread? Two robins in my garden were in the same position. They were definitely fighting over a lady, and that's what the wrens seem to be up to. You would not think two sweet little things like that would be so aggressive!

Bazza

Naruto

Hi

I have two robins at the moment. 

Bazza

Naruto

Hi

I have two robins at the moment. 

I'm glad you have two robins.

I always only see the one around my area.

I watched her bath today in one of my made bird baths. (No I was not stalking!)

SueA wrote (see)

I just read your 'robin' thread Bazza from last year, they are really aggressive for tiny birds & wrens must be too. We had a robin in the garden around Christmas & New Year time but I haven't seen it for weeks so maybe it's moved on or been driven away by the 2 very bad tempered blue tits who chase everything from the garden!

Hi People

Have not been around for a while as we have been up to Cleveland for a week.  It was so cold I could not believe it - no wonder they call us "soft southerners" - it was 6 degrees colder than Cornwall and I could not wait to get back but now we have smatters of snow here so think I must have bought it back with me (the cold, that is). the scenery was wonderful though.  Also been to Essex and that was also cold compared with home.  Brrr!

Bazza - the production line will have to wait until we have accumulated more fat but I will do it again as it was lovely to see the blue tits hanging on the shells and eating it all.

Judith

Hi Inbal

It is still freezing cold here and we have had wintery sleet showers or bits of frozen snow, not sure which, but it has not settled.  I was going to start clearing the garden ready for spring but am glad I have not done so now.  Even so, you would not believe how many flowers are out fighting through the weeds! 

Your fox has no manners at all and clearly no modesty!  We have a fox that visits but I have not seen him for a while.  I think that he/she visits late at night.  The badgers continue to visit.  I think they are mostly cubs as they are quite small but their mum comes as well.  There were 6 on the patio a couple of nights ago, hoovering up the left over bird seed.  I did not know they ate that but at least it keeps the patio tidy!  Last night 2 of them had a scrap over something - my word, I would not like to upset them if that is the way they behave - talk about ferocious.  It was easily refereed though, I just walked towards the patio door and they all ran away.  Even though they come every night they are still very nervous and shy, which is the way I want them to stay.  We are getting chickens soon and I know they will go for them so we are getting electric fencing to keep them and the fox out.  Its a bit of a worry though, having wildlife around does have its problems even though we love it.

How nis your kitchen coming along?  We are well into it now and living with brick and rubble dust.  My lovely husband has bought me a Rayburn, we are waiting for it to be delkivered but could so with it now it is so cold.

Judith

Hi Inbal

I note you say a builder is "supposed" to come and have a look! I hope you have better luck than we did! We had the most awful problem getting a builder to come - they would say they were coming and not turn up, have a car accident and although they let us know that they were fine and would be around in a few days, were never heard of again, were downright rude and said they it was against the law to speak on a mobile while driving (how was I supposed to know?) and just generally completely unreliable.  Then we struck lucky because in desparation I phoned a friendly sounding advert in the paper which offered references and bingo!  The work was completed within 10 days!  To a really good standard as well and with a really good price.

I also looked at kitchen catalogues but could not find anything I liked but got lucky with that as well.  I had a carpenter in to build a bookcase at the top of the stairs because we needed one that was very wide with shallow shelves to fit the space as well as being about 8' high and could not find anything to fit.  The carpenter made it to match in with all the rest of the carved wood we have (sounds very grand but it is not - just very old) and got really into it, making his own suggestions and being very helpful.  He made a wonderful job of it and only charged us £200! It is now resplendant in situ and full of books.  When we were talking he showed me his photos of his other work and has now agreed to give me a price to build the kitchen to my specifications.  Bliss.  It is going to be a lot cheaper than the kitchens from the catalogues and will be exactly what we want.  He obviously likes his work and takes pride in it, so we thaink we will go with what he asks.  I just thought I would mention it as this is another option you could explore.

It seems to have warmed up a bit here.  Still cold but not as bad.  If it wasn't for the paint stripping etc I would be out in the garden.  Feel really guilty because apart from ensuring the birds and badgers are fed, I have not done anything this year.  I can see a lot of hard work waiting for me later on. 

Judith

Hi Inbal - you sound a bit like me - really excited and pleased that things are finally beginning to move.  Hope it all goes well, do keep me posted and we can compare notes.  I am currently sitting here surrounded by mess and stuff that needs to be put away again.  The builder had to go through the floor of the study - ceiling of the kitchen - to install the chimney lining for the Rayburn so everything had to be moved.  It will probably have to be done again when we get an electrician in to install the lights for the kitchen.  We currently have a horrid bit of strip lighting which does not do a thing for the kitchen but are not sure what we will have instead.  Thinking about spot lights in the ceiling.  Have today off to try and strip paint/put things away/arrange for an engineer to come and help with siting the Rayburn as I have changed my mind about where I want it to go.  This is apart from washing/cleaning/cooking etc.  What fun!  Aaaaaarrrgh!

I am never going to see the garden again at this rate.................! 

Judith