Ways to pass the time...

I am still managing to find ways to pass my time! I do a bit of reading, play a few games on my tablet or a few hands of cards, a jigsaw or two. The tablet comes in handy for things like that because I can no longer hold a jigsaw piece or a hand of cards. I also like to colour but that has to be done on the tablet as well because holding a pencil for any length of time is not easy either.
Luckily I can still use my camera as I can put it on a tripod and I can use a remote to fire it if need be. Having said that I do still prefer to fire it by hand.
I have been down to the garden a couple of times, the birds are all busy nest building or collecting food to take to nests. We think the magpies have been raiding nests, the blackbirds were sending out a distress call the other day, both parents were rushing around the garden, so Tony and I think they had lost either eggs or chicks.

Mr Blackbird collecting food the day before the distress call.

Both Blackbird parents sending out distress calls.

It wasn't just the blackbirds that the magpies were targeting, they were also flying in and out of the lilac bushes where the sparrows are nesting. The sparrows nest in groups so they would send up a very loud chatter whenever a preditor came near. Sometimes it would be a magpie or two, sometimes it would be a neighbourhood cat it could even be one of the children playing in the garden wandering too close to the hedge.

Male Sparrows on the lookout for magpies.

The goldfinches have been visiting a lot lately, sometimes it is one solitary bird other times it is quite a flock, ( known as a charm ). 

Goldfinches on the sunflower heart feeder.

Of course, no garden visit is complete without a squirrel.

The crazy one.

I hope you are all managing to keep safe & well,

Until the next time... 

The door is open...

I have been given the all clear to go out, I don't have to stay in for the remainder of the 12 weeks. The trouble is now I can go out I am not sure that I want to!!!

I think Willow has the best idea, hide away in her tent with her pad, a comfort blanket and pretend that she is in her own little world.

Until the next time...

It's like being in prison,

The self isolating is not affecting me at all... 

Until the next time...

Finding ways to pass the time...

I have been playing, I have been going through photo's and making collages just to amuse myself.

Spot the odd one out.

A Bit of All sorts.

In The Garden

Keep safe & well.

Until the next time...

Iam beginning to get bored!!!

The lockdown is starting to get really boring now, we have been out about 3 times in the last 2 weeks just to collect my tablets and to do a bit of shopping. Then yesterday I received a text from the government telling me that I was a vulnerable person because of my medical problems. This means I have not to leave the house for 12 weeks, I can open a window, but on no account must I leave the house. I am beginning to feel like a prisoner in my own home.

A couple of days ago I spent some time in the shed. The grey wagtail came, it has something wrong with its right foot. I don’t know if it has always been like that or if it has been caused by an accident?

 The Grey Wagtail visits most days but never stays very long.

One of the squirrels came down for a quick look but didn’t seem to like the company. Maybe he/she will return later before I go back upstairs to our flat, if not it will defiantly return after. 

A couple of goldfinches arrived together on the sunflower heart feeder, along with several starlings who came for a mealworm fest and to fight over the peanut butter.

All the feeders are full along with the 2 nut boxes, so they should be ok for a couple of days. The water bowls are full of freshwater. The favourite food at the moment seems to be, the suet log, sunflower hearts and monkey nuts. If the squirrels drop any the magpies are only too eager to pick them up and fly away with them.

The female blackbird showed a lot of interest in the mealworms, she was eating some and flying away with some, surely it is too early for chicks already? I haven’t been able to buy any live mealworms with the situation as it is, however, if you soak the dry ones in hot water for about 3-5 mins they soften up and it makes it so much easier for the birds to pick up. I used to watch the starling pecking at the dry ones, they would break up into tiny pieces too small for them to pick up. The softening made a lot of difference, they pick them up so much better.

Mrs Blackbird did not want to share with the sparrows this morning and chased them away from the mealworms every time they came near.

The sparrows enjoyed the freshwater and made the most of it by having a water playtime.

The sparrows jumped on each other splashing about like children at a water park.

Sparrows Water Playtime.

The squirrel did come back, just for a short while.

The robin came and snatched a mealworm, flew to the fence and fed it to his mate. Of cause, I missed the actual feeding but I did photograph the two robins together.

Quick mealworm snatch.

The Robins want to be together.

I hope you are all managing to keep safe & well during this bad situation.

Until the next time...