Another year over,

Todays photo of the day

A college made up with a photo from each month of the year.

(only one squirrel, bet you didn't expect that!)

You may have seen some before you may not have, I just picked at random from my many hundreds of photo's I now possess. I really do need to go through them all and decide which to keep.

I very rarely photograph people and usually only with their permission, that way nobody can object.

Well this is it the end of another year. We have had our ups and downs as usual, this year I think may have been more good than bad. So who knows maybe the next one might be even better.

All there is left to say is happy new year to all of you, have a great night, 

Until tomorrow...

Bad weather forecasts.

Todays photo of the day

Two ladies braving the weather.

At least the weather here has not been as bad as some places. The places where it has been flooded have had a really terrible time over christmas, I hope things improve for them over the new year, but if the weather forecast is anything to go by it doesn't look good!

Until tomorrow...

The sun shone on the garden

The sun shone for a while today. The garden burst into life, the usual suspects were all there. The Sparrows, Squirrels, Great Tits, Blue Tits, and Starlings, a few more Blackbirds.
Then I spotted a bird that I had not seen for a while, a Greenfinch, or in this case three.

They were fighting over the sunflower seeds in the ball feeder attached to the shed. Then I spotted more Greenfinches sitting in the fir tree sunbathing in the rays even if they were not very hot the birds were soaking up the vitamin D.

Todays photo of the day

A sunbathing Greenfinch.

Until tomorrow...

Did Santa miss some one?

Today we had a bus ride to Leeds. There were not as many people there as we expected. I had hoped to get a few street shots or portraits. However there just was not anything that caught my eye, until...

Todays photo of the day

a buen hambre no hay pan duro

(Beggars can't be chooser's)

Not everybody had a good christmas this year by the looks of it.

I took a picture in Portugal in 2011, this man reminded me of the beggar woman in that picture. I think it is just the way they are sitting, the fact that they are both dressed in black, but mostly the way they are both covering part of their faces, she with her hand, He with his collar of his coat. 

Until tomorrow...

Poor Pretty Boy

The wind has been causing the squirrels a little bit of a problem, they have had to hold on tight while walking along the fence. Pretty Boy almost got blown off.

As you can see from the expression on his face he was not pleased at all. It was only being able to use his tail like a sail that kept him on the fence.

Then to upset him altogether he went to the part of the fence where I usually put the nuts,

Todays photo of the day

One of the other squirrels had been there before him. Poor Pretty Boy.

He did manage to find a sweet chestnut that I put out for the squirrels over Christmas, so things were not too bad.

Until tomorrow...

A bird with brains

Todays photo of the day

The Great Spotted Woodpecker.

The female woodpecker is a regular visitor to the garden, the peanut butter in the hole on the crossbar is her favourite spot. Sometimes I put suet in the hole and she seems to like that almost as much. She is making the hole bigger so it takes more food to fill the hole, I think this is a clever ploy by the woodpecker to get more peanut butter. Clever bird eh!

Until tomorrow...

Happy Christmas

Todays photo of the day

Wakefield City Centre early on Christmas morning.

Christmas morning Wakefield was the quietest I had ever seen it. We drove through on our way to deliver presents. We had the usual places to call, Mum's, then on to Emma and her girlfriends. There we would see my grandchildren, they all looked happy opening their presents. I got big hugs from them all including My daughters girlfriend, if she wants to be family she has to have hugs the same as everybody else. 

I received phone calls and texts from my son and my other daughter who don't live in Wakefield, it was nice that they found time to call in their busy day.

Elvira came to stay with us for christmas. Tony did all the cooking, we had lamb, pork, turkey and duck. All the usual vegetables, home made roast potatoes and crackling. None of us wanted any pudding, so as usual the christmas pudding is still in the cupboard.

I received some very nice gifts I have already thanked the people that gave me them but I thank you all again.

I hope everybody enjoyed their christmas however they celebrated it. Happy christmas from me and Tony.

Until tomorrow...

Long Tailed Tits bobbing about the garden

Todays photo of the day

A Long Tailed Tit.

The flock of Long Tailed Tits swarmed into the garden like a swarm of bees, landing on the suet balls and sunflower seeds, then all leaving at the same time. I could hear them before they arrived and long after they left, the high peeping noise they make is a welcome sound and seeing the birds is always a pleasure.

Until tomorrow...

Rusty's at it again!

Is anybody looking?

Quick tug on the string,

A good pull here,

A chew just there

That did it, gone!

Todays photo of the day

Rusty the parrot bar thief.

Until tomorrow...

Safety seat.

Todays photo of the day

A favourite sitting place for all the squirrels.

The squirrels can see all our garden from here. They can also see across the school yard, into next doors garden and along the wall in both directions. I guess they feel safe because they can make a quick dash up the tree if need be to get away from another squirrel or a cat.

Until tomorrow...

The Robin for company

Todays photo of the day

Robin Redbreast.

This Robin is showing his red breast off, he stood on the bird table beside the shed and posed very nicely before taking a beak full of suet and flying away. I have noticed a lot of the birds seem to snatch and fly. The Robin however was back soon and came into the shed to sit awhile. I guess he knows it is warm in the shed and he can help himself to food.

Until tomorrow...

Blackbirds

Todays photo of the day

Mrs Blackbird.

The Blackbirds are returning to the garden a few at a time. I think we now have four.

I have given them some apples to eat they love fruit, we always look for cheap apples and pears in the supermarkets and shops for them.

Until tomorrow...

The smell.

Rusty the Squirrel was in the garden, he could smell something,

He sniffed at the top of the fence. It was not on there.

He sniffed on the side of the fence. It was not there.

He looked in the bushes

It was not there

He sat and wondered where can it be?

The he jumped from the fence, 

Todays photo of the day

Rusty had found what he could smell, a new parrot bar had appeared in the tree.

Alright I know go to your room, you are loosing the plot again.

Until tomorrow...

Birthday cards and gifts.

Todays photo of the day

This is what my friend Elvira bought me for my birthday.

I shall look forward to eating him.

I received cards from all three of my children, some ornamental birds from Lynsey, 2 onesies from Tony (he knows I need to keep warm & comfy) and a box of Thorntons chocolates from Chris and his family. Emma came to visit me, she didn't stay long but it was nice to see her and she gave me a big hug before she left which is as good as any gift.

I would like to hug my children more but I think they would think I had lost the plot if I did!

To all those people that remembered my birthday and sent cards, thank you.

Until tomorrow...

A little bit of sun brings the squirrels out.

The squirrels in the garden are playing , it must be the little bit of sun that has brought them out.

The two squirrels raced around the tree, so fast I am surprised they don't fall off.

When they spotted me in the garden they knew that food would be put out.

While one went for the sunflowers left upon the shelf

The other went straight to the table for the hazel nuts he'd found.

All that was left for me to know, was who had been digging in Margaret's pots again.

Photo of the day

"Well it wasn't me,"

Hmm, I am not sure I believe him, how about you?

Until tomorrow...

Which way

Todays photos of the day

She didn't know if he was coming or going!

The squirrels often run round the garden like idiots, today Mandona really looked as if she didn't know which way to go.

Until tomorrow...

The Robin

Todays photo of the day

When all else fails, you can always depend on a robin.

The garden was so quiet I thought I was never going to take a picture today. Then along came the trusty robin.

Until tomorrow...

A chirpy garden

This is Rusty

Rusty is saying " What nut?"

The garden has been a bit more chirpy today. The Blue & Great Tits are out in force, The Wren and Green finches. One of my favourites the Robin is keeping me company again coming to see what I have to eat and then of course there is

Todays photo of the day

The Dunnock.

A lively little brown bird that never stops moving.

Until tomorrow...

Alverthorpe alight.

Todays photo of the day

Sunrise in Alverthorpe

After the dramatic sunset that we had last night, there is an almost equally dramatic sunset this morning. The sky is glowing red like flames, the trees and buildings silhouetted against it.  I guess there will be hundreds of photographers taking photos of these magnificent events.

Until tomorrow...

The fire in the sky.

I took this photo this evening I could not believe the dramatic looking sky, Tony called me into the room otherwise I might have missed it because I was in the back room with the curtains closed.

Todays photo of the day

Sunset over Wrenthorpe.

The sky looks like it's on fire, or a volcano has erupted behind the houses. I love the dramatic effect I have done nothing to this photo except crop it slightly, I have not changed any colouring, tints, or sharpened it this is how it was taken.

Until tomorrow...

Another new squirrel

 Todays photo of the day

Another new squirrel in the garden.

We have decided on a name for him already,we have called him "Patch"

Patch appeared this morning, we spotted he was a boy straight away, the markings on his face and in his ears gave him the name because he has patches.

Patch is slightly smaller than the other three squirrels, however the amount he ate and the way he shot up the feeders I don't think it will be long before he is as big if not bigger.

Until tomorrow...

A Robin for company.

Todays photo of the day

Robin outside the shed window.

The robin sits outside the shed window waiting to see what I am going to give him to eat. He likes to share if I have any sandwiches or biscuits. He also likes cheese or even a tiny bit of chocolate.

I know I spoil him nearly as much as the squirrels but I don't give any of them too much or things they should not have.  I never give them anything with salt on because that is very bad for them and I always soak bread before they have any which is not very often.

The garden is very quiet again today.

Until tomorrow...

Peanut butter draws them in

Todays photo of the day

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker.

She is becoming a regular visitor again, it is the peanut butter that does it. On the cross bar Tony drilled some holes for me to fill with anything I wanted. the most obvious was peanut butter or suet. The squirrels love it so do the small bird and of course the woodpeckers.

I was very lucky to get the shot usually the bird flies as soon as she see's me but I think she was so taken with the food she didn't see me straight away.

Until tomorrow...

Pretty Boy is getting braver.

Todays photo of the day

Pretty Boy

He is beginning to get more use to me every time he see's me, I think he has finally worked out the food doesn't appear by magic. He knows when I am there so is the food. Today he sat in the tree and watched while I put out the food and he was eating the nuts before I was even back in the shed.

Until tomorrow...

Partying Starlings

The Starling were here by the dozen again to day,

some of them sat quietly,

Some of them made pigs of themselves with the peanut butter,

I am not sure what some of them had been doing but whatever it was it was certainly head spinning.

Todays photo of the day

The Starling had a mind blowing experience!

Until tomorrow...

Something a little different

I decided today I would try to find something a little different to photograph.  There is a bush in the garden of the big house next door that over hangs the path between our gardens. I have to pass this bush to go to our back garden. In the earlier part of the year it had some very small red and yellow flowers on it that attracted the bees. Now it is covered in small red berries similar to holly berries.
As I passed it today it had lots of raindrops hanging from the berries as it had only just stopped raining.
I stopped to take some pictures, hoping that at least one would be good enough to keep. I managed about 3-4 that I have kept but this one is my favourite.

Todays photo of the day

I don't know what the bush is called, I will try to find out, or if any of you know I would be grateful if you could tell me.

Until tomorrow...

Some Squirrels are still learning

I watched the squirrel in the garden, I was not sure which squirrel it was.

He crept up to the nutbox, slowly pushing up the lid, he had obviously been dinked by it before.

Then he took out a nut, turned it slowly in his paws to check it was a good nut. I had a chance to check and I decided it was Rusty.

Rusty ran across the garden with his nut, up the fence and stopped. He turned to face me with a look on his face as if to say" what do I do now?"

Todays photo of the day

Rusty looking blank.

Rusty stood there for about 3 or 4 minutes before suddenly turning and running up the tree.

Until tomorrow...