The family

Today's photo of the day

A family photo.

The other babies up the tree.

Until tomorrow...

An unusual diet for Mrs Squirrel

Yesterday Mrs Squirrel brought 2 of her babies to visit the garden. They were very pretty and explored the garden well. One of the pair stuck out as the more adventurous 0f the two or so we thought! Until the second squirrel suddenly launched itself from the wall straight into the small fir bush at the back of the shed. Not that that was enough it must have liked it so much it ran straight back round and did it again! I did try to get some pictures but failed miserably if I spot it doing it again I will try again or will even try to get it on video.

This is baby number 2 just after landing it is not a very good picture but it gives you an idea.

It was quite funny watching them when they found the nutboxes for the first time, they walked round them, scratched at them, sniffed at them, dug through the empty shell round them, then one of them must have watched mum and finally managed to lift the lid to get to the nuts.

However the thing that amazed me most today was something Mrs Squirrel did!

Todays photo of the day

Mrs Squirrel chewing on a dirty old bone.

Why ?

Until tomorrow...

A Starling invasion

I love the garden after rain, it always seems so fresh, green, fragrant. I can actually smell it, which is unusual as my sense of smell is usually non-existant (which can be good at times).

I sit in the shed listening after the rain stops. I can hear the birds singing usually a dunnock, a robin and a blackbird, a birds choir in my back garden.

  I can hear the sparrows chattering in the lilac bush. The hum of the traffic on the nearby roads, a dog barking in the distance, all the sounds I associate with the shed.

 The warning sound of a blackbird rings out, closely followed by the low cackle of a magpie who is probably trying to raid a nest somewhere. 

A gang of starlings tumbled into the garden accompanied by their newly fledged offspring who are behaving like unruly adolescents demanding attention. The adult birds squawking and strutting round the garden like chav's all trying to out-do each other. The young birds get louder in their calls until the parents give in and feed them with what they want, the garden sounds like the local McDonald's on a saturday afternoon.

Todays photo of the day

Feed me, Momma, Feed me!

Only when the young starlings decided that their appetites had been appeased did the noise begin to decrease. The starlings then flew as one from the garden no doubt to repeat the whole action in another garden not too far away. At least peace had returned to our garden for a while anyway.

Until tomorrow...

The skateboarder.

Todays photo of the day

The Skateboarder

He came flying down the road on his skateboard with a great rhythm, that kept him moving at an incredible pace. I don't know how they do it! I would fall off before I got anywhere my balance is terrible just walking. I don't mind skateboarders in a quite area where they are not bothering other people, it is when they come flying past you in the middle of town, down the precinct or even through the shopping centres if they can get away with it. Then I could quite easily stick my sticks out at an opportune moment and send them flying in a different way.

Until tomorrow...

Babies by the dozen

The first baby starling appeared in the garden today with an adult not far behind trying it's best to make it eat something, however the baby was much more interested in it's surroundings.
The first baby was closely followed by a dozen or more babies, the garden was complete pandemonium.
Robin flew onto the window-ledge and looked at me as if to say "where the heck did they all come from?" The Blackbirds ran round the garden looking like they were trying to round up the Starling babies to keep them all in one corner of the garden. The adult Starlings flapped their wings and squawked at their babies like teenage mothers with a bunch of unruly toddlers!
All this lasted about 45 minutes then gone, nothing, the garden seemed to give a sigh of relief.
Tony had been in the garden earlier trimming the bushes, he had laid down an old sink for the birds full of water for them to drink from or bathe in.

Did they use it? no they chose to use the smallest dish in the garden

Another baby appeared in the garden today as well, a baby Dunnock who spent quite a while just looking round by it's self.

The baby even seemed to be having a go at wing waving.

I think the adult Starlings put up with a lot from their babies who are about the same size as them, make more noise than them and are definitely demanding.

Todays photo of the day

Feed me feed me now!

Until tomorrow...

The nut run,

I often wonder how Mrs Squirrel manages to run round the neighbourhood burying nuts without getting tired! Well today I found out that she does. She had been running round the garden re-burying the nuts that Tony had dug up when he cut the grass, then she ran round the surrounding gardens checking and burying more nuts.

Then she appeared on the wall opposite the shed, I watched all this from the bedroom window.

I just had to capture what followed on camera,

Today's photo's of the day

Mrs Squirrel collapsed after the nut run.

I had a grin on my face when I took these but I did feel sorry for her. It's a hard life for a squirrel.

Until tomorrow...

Hello this is me...

I suppose it had to happen at some point, this is me!

I am dressed in my comfortable clothes ready to bake bread.(sorry about the apron mum). Tony just had to take a photo. The trousers I am wearing Tony bought for himself in Gambia but decided that they didn't suit him. I cannot think why! have a closer look.

The apron I bought at a car boot sale just for a laugh.

Anyhow I spent the morning in the kitchen baking white loaves, olive and garlic loaves and an apple pie.

I then decided I would go down to the shed for a while. I have been having a few off days lately and I felt quite good today so I thought I would make the most of it.

A very shy squirrel

Who bumped his head

came to eat some monkey nuts.

closely followed by A Blue Tit, who tried to look intimidating, but didn't succeed. 

Then a baby Sparrow my first of the year.

Isn't he/she just so cute. The babies were taking flying lessons.

Todays photo of the day

Look Dad I can fly.

It might be a bit blurred but I like it and I put it down to movement.

Until tomorrow...

Lets play a game

Todays photo of the day

Follow the leader.

The squirrels are always good for a game of something.

Until tomorrow...

Strange happenings in the kitchen

Tony has been busy, he has been in the kitchen, there has been the smell of vinegar wafting under the door. He has been singing and whistling, I am not entirely sure what he is doing!

Ah all has become clear...

Todays photo of the day

Tony's Pickles,

(makes a change from pickled, only joking)

I have to wait 3 - 4 weeks now before I can try them.

Until tomorrow...

Predators in the garden

The garden is being plagued with predators at the moment.

The Sparrowhawk is doing fly overs on an almost daily basis, taking little birds when ever he or she can which ever on it is they seem to take it in turns. No doubt before long Juniors will be joining in.

Then we seem to have every cat in the neighbourhood using our garden as a hunting ground. The biggest problem at the moment though seems to be the Magpies. The birds in the garden are frantic every time a Magpie appears. One brave collar dove is staging a one bird attack on the magpies whenever they go too near the tall fir tree, obviously that is where the nest is of theirs.

Todays photo of the day

A Magpie nest hunting.

If I am in the shed both the magpies and cats get a soaking with the water pistol that see's them off for a while. However they always come back. The Blue Tits nest box has been damaged the entry hole has been pecked at and made bigger I think the Magpies are to blame for that, so the Blue Tits have abandoned the box.  I know it is nature but it can be so cruel at times.

Lynsey has called a few times over the last couple of days, one of her friends died . He was only 24 years old and felt life was not worth living, he hung himself, his mother as you can imagine is distraught,she was the person who found him. I cannot imagine having to go through the pain and despair either of them must have been feeling at the moment it happened.

It really makes me think my life is not as bad as I sometimes think I have never felt like it is not worth living and I don't believe I ever will. I know I have a loving partner I can talk to, a mother who will be there should I need her and 3 children (well grown ups) that I know would be there as well should anything happen, and I would be there for any of them. 

I am waffling now so I am going to shut up and get a cup of tea.

Until tomorrow...

Until tomorrow.

They will do anything for sunflower seeds.

The first thing we saw this morning was a squirrel hanging upside down on the side of the shed. They all do it, they will do anything to get to the sunflower seeds. They will empty any of the dishes on the floor eat any on the tables then move on to the hanging ones.

At least this one is not full frontal as that is not always a pretty sight.

So it had to be 

Today's photo of the day

The acrobatic squirrel.

Maybe they will last out until tomorrow and leave a few for the birds, I hope so!

Until tomorrow...

A lovely sight to see,

We spotted a sight which we both liked today and decided that it had to be,

Todays photo of the day

A Family Group

I couldn't help but wonder what the horse fastened up inside the barn had done wrong?

Until tomorrow...

Whispering Pigeons

Today's photo of the day

The pigeons on the roof either getting romantic or planning the next plan of action for attacking the garden. 

Until tomorrow...

Squirrels are so cute, or are they?

Todays photo of the day

It is so nice to see the Squirrels sharing the food.

They sat there happily sharing the food without any problem and then this happened!

Why I don't know, the female Squirrel just made a lunge at the male and knocked him over,

When he got up and shook himself the female went back to eating as if nothing had happened and the male moved across the garden to eat somewhere else.

Until tomorrow...

Robins lunch

 Mealworms for me?

In I go...

Got one

Thanks bye bye

Todays photo of the day

The Starling who is still not sure about me!

Until tomorrow...

She looks good behind bars.

Today's photo of the day

Next doors cat

I have nothing more to say.

Until tomorrow...

The sight's' you see

Today's photo of the day

There are some strange people in Batley!

Until tomorrow...

Nest building time again

Todays photo of the day

how can she see where she's going?

Until tomorrow...

The very hungry starling

Todays photo of the day

How's she going to eat all that?

Until tomorrow...

The honey factory within these walls

Lynsey came to see us today and it is with thanks to her that I have a photo for today. Tony also plays a part because I borrowed his macro lens.

Lynsey noticed some bees going into a hole outside the front door (front door ha we only have one door) any how on closer inspection we noticed that as they were going in they had fat yellow legs where on leaving they did not.

Todays photo of the day

Take note of the small yellow bee in the centre photo his leg is fat and yellow.

The pictures are not very good but I will try and get some better ones now I know they are there.

Until tomorrow...

The peanut butter was a favourite with everyone.

I don't know if anybody is really interested but I thought I would show you a close up of the shed heads that are now attached to the side of the shed!

Oh you lucky people. I like them and Tony likes them, I am not sure what Margaret thinks, or what Lynn &Peter think if they can see them. I really don't care what Abby thinks.

Well lets move on shall we?


I was sitting in the shed waiting for something to happen when I saw this,

I took a picture as you can see (duh) then I watched for a while longer and this happened

The Thrush looked up like Alice in Wonderland as if to say how am I supposed to get up there?

He/she stood looking up at the table, then around the garden even straight at me. He/she finally decided it was too much and flew off into the distance. Why I thought didn't it just fly up onto the table?

After the Thrush left the next bit of excitement came with the Starlings trying to eat the peanut butter from the small tree behind the nutbox.

It took a great deal of balance to manage and the Starling still manage to fall off, he did however fly off with a beak full so some starling chicks somewhere will be learning the art of  swallowing peanut butter this evening, lucky them!

Another Squirrel seems to have found it's way to our garden today. He is a very handsome, clean tidy male.

He was a bit shy at first but soon got into the swing of things when he found the peanut butter and the nuts.

He was very good at posing for his picture taking.

After much consideration I decided that because I do not see them very often,

Todays photo of the day

The Greenfinch

Will be the Greenfinch, a very colourful bird that seems very short in numbers so far this year.

Until tomorrow...