Still Waiting for Summer

I'm sorry it's been a long time since produced a post, I've been busy training for a charity Challenge that A friend and I are doing  at the end of the month http://skylark-ma.co.uk/paddle-pedal-hobble/ this is a link to the event there is also a link on the page to the charity I'm collecting for http://www.justgiving.com/alan-manouch this charity did some mega things for Lou in her last year.

Well where is summer I think all the wildlife in the garden are asking the same question.
Above is a picture of the green oak marker I had commissioned for Lou's grave looks brilliant.

The usual visitors have been about I've never seen the robin feeding like this before , well not in the garden The local squirrel have been having a field day with the bird food they've destroyed 2 feeders and seem to pinch all the food before the birds arrive but Lou loved and had names for them so why should I be different
Siskins have come back to the garden they haven't really been for about a year or since I stopped putting out Niger seeds perhaps they are not so fussy now but the picture looks like the Great Tit is telling him off.When I next post I should be back from my Challenge in one piece speak to you all then

Summers Finally arrived

Hi well its here summer that is and with the good weather we had some cheeky visitors , We have always had loads of Jays about the garden but one particular this year has no fear,Normally the Jays are very shy if Im in the kitchen window watching them and make the slightest movement there off not this one I can jump up and down shout and wave me arms he just ignores it .. a great photo opportunity  we have also had our first Goldfinch for a while and the slugs are out

Waiting for Warmth

Well almost out of April and it seems like winters still here, yesterday we had sleet and hailstones with Temperatures of 4c or 5c  much the same today.

Despite all this cold weather things are stirring in the garden my Rhododendron is starting to flower if you remember its the cream one that suddenly change to pink after 11years of growing, the blueberry bushes are flowering with loads more flowers so may be a bumper crop this year. The bird's have been active especially the Blackbirds here's a shot of one with its beak full of peanuts and a little Dunnock grazing on the spilt food from the feeders

Hi there
Well last week I thought Summer had started early Today 4inches of snow that was a surprise its been a while since I posted and I didn't know if any one was looking any more as my counter at the bottom has stopped working any ideas how to start that working?? Lot of things happening in the garden we've had some squirrels don't ask me their names, also seemingly hundreds of Bluetits and Chaffinches maybe that's the sign of a mild winter that we have had.
I started work clearing up the garden getting it to look good for the summer but hopefully in the next few weeks it will look just how Lou liked it.

An old visitor

Well I open the curtains today and what did I spy a Squirrel, the first I've seen in the garden for ages Its properly one of those that Lou gave a name too like Bernie It doesn't look like Bernie the heads too brown, but if any of you out the recognise him let me know.
The Blackbirds were about all day 2 or 3 of them perhaps a family ? I'm adding a couple of pictures I took yesterday in the local woods it was very cold,an inspirational air about the place so I spent most of the day sat in the cold with a flask of coffee. It has warmed up a bit today so the frost and ice has gone now so back to normal mountain weather damp and wet

Wet and windy start

Hello there,
Well the new years here and a month nearly gone, I know I said I would post more this year but so far I've been very busy at work and home doing..Not sure but seem to have run out of time anyway.
Its been very windy here in the mountains we've had gusts of 90 mph on several occasions and though it has calmed down a bit its still bad. Bad for all our feathered friends as well though they do well by me I cant remember so many birds feeding this time of year , it must be due to the very mild winter we have had so far, having said that they forecast wintry showers overnight here
I managed to get a few pictures of the regulars Including a couple of very shy Black birds whom I've been trying to photo for weeks got a couple of shots , not brilliant but they will do foe now.
Snowdrops are out and other plants are sprouting in my walks through the woods opposite I have notice a lot of flowering wild plants far more than usual, one benefit of the mild weather. I have regularly been down to See Lou in her forest and you know most times I go down its been sunny her spot in the woods is starting to grass over with the aid of some Mole Hill spoil I took over last year it seems to have worked Also I planted some Guelder Rose. Lou loved Ferns so she has a big Lady fern in a prime place , but her favourite was a Harts Tongue Fern so I scoured the woods and found a couple and transplanted them on her plot. I'm having a piece of oak cut from a fallen tree carved by a Friend for a sort of natural headstone it will read just as she wanted Lucinda
"Mrs Manouch"
1973-2010
She loved being a Mrs she always seem to be excited about being Mrs manouch we called each other like that a lot sweet eh
I'll take some pictures of it when its finished and in situ

The last Post of 2011

Well it's been an age since I posted something on this blog but what with Xmas celebrations a busy time at work, the time has rushed by, as for wildlife in the garden most of the usual suspects have been about and this year we've had quite a lot of Starlings which I don't see much in the garden. We had a lot of visit from Coal tits in the last month, the weather has been very windy here in the mountains it seems it's been like it for months maybe that's what's keeping the birds away any way its a happy new year to all of you out there I promise I will find more time next year for more exciting posts

Very quite in the Garden

Well its been a long time since i updated this blog, I've been on Holiday, been very busy at work and the weather has been foul not good for photos, So I thought it about time to do something as the sun is trying to shine today I've been trying to get good pictures but nothing seems to be happening the suns gone and its gone very dark and damp , so i went out to a local bird hide on the coast and bagged these two nice pictures, one of feeding Little Egrets and another of a Kingfisher, this was a favourite hide Lou used to go too not often Egrets and Kingfishers appeared at the same time
I'll turn my camera back into the garden tomorrow and see what we get

Long Winter on the way

Hi there
Its been a while since I published a post,Ive been rather tied up with work,The anniversary of Lou's passing have all contributed to my lack of motivation , but i thought its time I snapped out of it and tried to find something to write about Today has been the driest day we had for about 5 weeks here in the mountains so i picked up he camera and took some pics the usual culprits were about Blue Tits, Great Tits, Sparrows and the Nuthatch and just as I as about to give up up pops the Spotted Woodpecker so altogether not a bad day, Lets hope we have a long expected Indian Summer you might get more posts

Summer what Summer?

Well what a month this has been we have had such bad weather I've hardly been in the garden, as well as going away for a week, but I have managed to take a few pictures one visitor I haven't seen in the garden before and a bit rare here a woodland brown Butterfly ans also a hairy Caterpillar, a picture of one of Lou's favourite subjects A Fly yes she loved them especially Flesh Flies with there big feet but this Bluebottle will have to do also a picture I took a few weeks ago of a young Pied Wagtail lets hope we get a Indian Summer this year we deserve one.

Glorious Summer

Well it's well and truly summer here in the mountains one of the best July's we've had for many years Lots of birdes and insects about We had a visit from a blackbird family (could it be the No Tail family) I'm off down south for a few days I will do a fuller blog when i return

Summer's here ?

Well its been a while since my last post a busy time at work for me I'm afraid , anyway I went into the garden yesterday and took afew shots of te things growing at the moment.The bird life is a little quite at the moment though I did watch a BlueTit doin lots of trips from one of the gutters on the roof is it a nest or supply of food I supose it could be a second brood of chicks also i posted some pictures of the Blueberries (they are filling out )a nice shot of a Slow Worm we have lots in the garden ,I have to check the lawn every time I cut it(Lou's training lol) getting to a sad time for me as it would have been her birthday this friday but hey she'll never get any older thats how she thought she'd never get wrinkles she'd say

A garden full of birds

Well summers come back for a day or two, lots of activity Blue tit, Coal Tit and Great Tit young everywhere even the Woodpeckers and young Jays have been on the feeder today, Oh yes the Electricity pole has been replaced , so the woodpecker has a new perch ( mind you its probably covered with creosote)I have been sat here for a long time to get some pictures of the Redstart that i saw the other day, but maybe there are too many Sheep in the field close to were they feed also the garden is full of all sorts at the moment here's a few I'm off to Pembroke now for a few days hopefully I'll get more shots of the Jays and Woodpeckers when i return