Oh what strange ears you have...

Mrs Squirrel came to visit bringing along a new baby with her. I will always be able to tell when it is this squirrel that calls into the garden because it is easy to pick put, it has a rather large peice missing from one ear and a small tip missing from the other.

The New Baby Squirrel.

Mrs Squirrel brought the baby to the shelf on the fence at the side of the shed. She climbed down into the shelf and baby stayed on top.

Mrs Squirrel enjoying her sunflower seeds.

While baby sits above her.

Baby was not happy about just watching, Baby wanted some seeds too.

Baby tried to get to the seeds.

Finally Mrs Squirrel was moved out of the way.

She was not happy

Baby was given a telling off and sent packing.

Baby went to sulk on the fence.

Until the next time...

Up on the roof.

Today Tony took the car in to the garage on Sun Lane for its MOT. This meant we had time to waste in town. As we walked past the Cathedral we looked up to see if we could spot the box that the Peregrines nest in. I spotted what I thought was the box, so I took my camera from my bag to try and get a closer look. I  was quite surprised to see one of the Peregrines sitting on a perch above the box.
Obviously I tried to take some shots of it, however you have to remember the Peregrines are high up on the Cathedral and I am way below on the floor so the photo's are not fantastic, but I am quite pleased with what I managed to take.

One of the Wakefield Peregrines.

Keeping an eye out for the other parent bird.

Watching the chicks.

A bit more information about the Peregrines.

The Wakefield
Peregrines

Falcons over-wintered on the cathedral spire in 2011. Wakefield Naturalists’ Society (WNS) and Wakefield Cathedral Chapter agreed on the provision of a nestbox to encourage peregrines to breed.
With financial help from a number of local businesses and individuals, WNS has been able to install a nest platform on the east parapet of the cathedral tower. Live pictures from a webcam, fixed inside the nestbox, are streamed to the internet via the WNS website.
In 2015, a very young male attracted a mature female to the nestbox, where they hatched and fledged three young falcons. Unfortunately, one young female did not survive but the bird was
preserved by a taxidermist and is now on display in the cathedral. 

Wakefield Naturalists’ Society
The webcam was installed in time for the 2016 breeding season and live pictures of the adults and four juveniles were streamed to the internet for the first time in May, 2016.
To view live images from the nestbox between February & July, visit our website at:
www.wakefieldnaturalists.org
Egg-laying takes place in late March or early April but courtship and nest-scraping activities begin a month or two before that. Outside the breeding season, highlights can be seen on the website or on YouTube.
Inevitably, the streaming service costs money to run. If you would like to help to maintain this, you can make a donation via BT MyDonate. A link to this can be found on the WNS website webcam page.
Wakefield Naturalists’ Society is a registered charity.
Reg. Charity no.: 1165774

I will return with a larger lens and a tripod to try again to take some better photos.

I am pleased to say the car only needed a light bulb and a tyre to pass it's MOT. Tony was happy with that, the car will survive for  another year, unless of course he finds an automatic, with cruise control then he might just be tempted to change it.


Until the next time...

When I grow up I want to be...

Sometimes whilst out and about in the car we do see some unusual sights. I think this is one that I will remember for a long time.

When I grow up, I want to be...

A ZEBRA.

This little pony was in an enclosure with three other horses but he was the only one wearing a coat. 

It just brought a smile to our faces and brightened up the morning.

There are often horses in the fields we pass in another one we saw a foal that was obviously newly born. It was very wobbly on its legs and did not want to leave it's Mums side.

The Newborn.

There are of course other things we see on our travels that are not as pleasant, such as this old caravan that had been dumped not far from where we live.

Dumped at the side of the road.

There was a notice attached to the side of the caravan to the owner. Stating that under the Highways Act 1980-section 143 Obstruction of the Highway, The council has the right to remove the obstruction after 4weeks has elapsed and can recover the cost of doing so. This notice is to notify you that the council will remove the item 4 weeks after the date of this notice. Dated this 2nd day of May 2017. Signed by an Environmental Action Officer.

I am sure the owner is not coming back.

Some people just expect everyone else to clear up their mess.

Until the next time...

A Noisy Garden.

You can always tell when the Starlings have fledged, the noise in the garden gives it away. Not just the sound of the young ones demanding to be fed, the sounds of the parents squabbling over food as well.

Starlings arguing over food.

Young Starlings demanding to be fed.

 Young Starling be fed. 

The Sparrow fledglings however are completely different. They sit and wait very quietly to be fed. Their favourite feeding place is the wall at the bottom of the garden.

Sparrows feeding time.

There are always certain ones that are different. Like one Starlings chick that waits quietly, or a Sparrows chick that likes to be fed at the top of the bushes.

The different ones.

There are other birds in the garden who's young have not appeared yet. 

Robin.

Robin looks round the garden wondering what is happening.  The noise is not to his liking.

However the Goldfinch is not bothered at all.

Goldfinch.

Whether you are  Starlings or a Sparrows, it is very difficult to get a drink when you are only young.

Whoops

Until the next time...

A treat from Leeds

Tony and I took a ride to Leeds on the bus today. I don't often go on public transport now. I find it difficult, but I just wanted to check out the Doc Marten shop. I hadn't been for a while, I just thought I'd look to see if there was anything new. Tony wanted to go to the Chinese supermarket so we both had places to go.
We had a walk round the market first, there was not a lot to see. The inside market is such a disappointment now. Butchers Row has gone. That has been there as long as the market but not any more. The powers that be have decided that it needed moving. Now there are butchers stalls scattered amongst the  other stalls, apart from one row where they fill one side. It is such a shame that the council have to ruin such a good market. However what do you expect from a council that builds a new shopping centre to bring in more shoppers and builds it on the biggest car park!
Now back to the important things.
I went into the Doc Marten shop, there were a couple of pairs of boots I liked. I decided on these.

Page Waffle Cotton.

They are a great fit for drier, warmer, weather. They will be great to wear with cropped trousers. They are fabric so are lightweight. A great addition to my boot collection.

Tooth update:  no more problems since the last extraction.
Lynsey update:  Lynsey had 2 more trips to A&E,  a visit to the walk in centre and her GP. She has been advised to consult a solicitor to claim for medical reasons as she needs intense physiotherapy for her neck, back,hip, shoulder and leg. At this time we still have had no response from the taxi driver or his insurance.

Squirrel update: Mrs Squirrel has given birth and is feeding her young somewhere close by. She is making daily visits to the garden ,where she fills up on sunflower hearts and peanuts.

Until the next time...