Return of the squirrels.

Well the holiday is over, it is back to reality with a bang! I have three appointments on my calendar for next month, one at the hospital, one with the nurse and one with the doctor.

While the holiday is still in my mind here are a few more photo's.

The pair of Chaffinches spent most days at the cottage eating seed.

Male Chaffinch.

Female Chaffinch.

The Female Pheasant just wondered through the garden one day, helping herself to any seed she found on the ground.

Female Pheasant.

I think though that the Nuthatches were the stars of the garden. I loved sitting and watching them. It was so much like a routine, as one flew from the table in one direction, another one flew in from the opposite direction. Now and again one bird would come in at the wrong time, then you heard a loud chattering and a clashing of beaks for a second or two, one of the birds would fly onto a garden chair and wait until the other left. Then it would go back and grab a nut and fly away before the next bird arrived.

The Nuthatch posing for the camera.

 The Nuthatch looked slightly confused at the sight of the hazelnuts!

 The two Nuthatches had a small squabble but shared the seeds in the end.

There are some hens and a couple of cockerel's on the farm.  The elder of the cockerel struts around the  garden making sure everybody knows he is there. He will stop every so often and 'crow'.

 The strutting Cockerel

Back home things in the garden soon got back into the usual routine.

I have lost count of the squirrels, I think we have lots of new ones.

They seem to be everywhere I look

On the wall

 Coming towards the shed

 Across the garden on the wooden frame

Even hanging from the shed roof

                         

                           

The youngest daughter is not happy, Pepper (her eldest cat) has been taken to the vets twice in the last few weeks. The first time the vet thought he had been hit by a pushbike. That visit cost a lot of money because it was out of hours. Pepper was just recovering from that injury when he came home bleeding from his chest. This time he had been bitten by what looks like a small dog, back to the vets again. This time didn't cost quite so much but enough to make a hole in her savings.

The youngest daughter only moved back to Wakefield about six weeks ago, all I can say is if she didn't have bad luck she wouldn't have any luck.

Her other cat Biscuit fortunately doesnt go outside, he is scared of his own shadow and the sound of a fly sneezing.

Until the next time...

Red Kites and Nuthatches

Well I just didn't realise how long it's been since I last wrote on here.

We went to Wales at the beginning of the month, back to a place we stayed 2 years ago

While we were there we visited Rhayader, there is a farm that is also a Red Kite sanctuary. They put out food for the Red Kites everyday at the same time. Red Kites flock in from miles around, and a few Buzzards come as well.

The Red Kite flies over the field waiting for the food.

The Red Kites swoop down for the meat knocking the Buzzards out of the way.

The Buzzard & Young Red Kite seem to get along.

The older Kites grab and fly.

The Nuthatches in the garden of the cottage kept us entertained as well.

I will tell you more about the trip next time.

Until the next time...