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

Hot News

Just as I posted the last blog I went out with my camera and spotted a BlueTit going into until now unused nest box we put up 4or 5 years ago why it's never been used can only be because we have a cat house under the tree. The birds must have got used to the cat by now and is not seen as a threat

Woops! here are the missing Pictures

Electric Wooodpeckers

Well its been a long time since I posted having said that the weather here in Snowdonia has been dreadful for the whole month of May ,we've had a bit of drama in next doors garden over the last couple of years Lou's has posted lots of pictures of Spotted Woodpeckers on the Electricity pole next door well, over time their pecking and hammering have caused serious damage to the pole and is so bad that now it has to be replaced! here's a pic of the culprit (not a good image but its all I could get).
Buttercups and all sorts of flowers are now blooming the grass is growing fast with all this rain plus loads of Bee's and Bug's every where I don't have the time to find their names but I'm sure most of you out there do. Finally i've added a picture of "Lou's steps" which she wanted put in last year, I remember telling her it would ruin the lawn... I think I was wrong?

Busy Times

Well it's been a busy month I'm sorry i haven't posted for a while, only time just flies by. There's been lots of action in the garden however i don't have the time and patience that Lou had so I cant seem to get those magic shots ( or it shows how good she was)The blueberry plants are looking good this year we only had a couple of fruit last year, the bluebells are out quite late this year, lots of fly activity on the buttercup flowers whats going on here? Here's a big black slug he looks fit and ready to eat anything that I plant and a picture of Lou's Steps that we put in last year (she always wanted steps), just right for somewhere to sit on a long summers day. and finaly here's some lambs with mum, Lou's loved watching the lambs dancing around in the field.

It must be Spring!

Spring must be here lambs in the field opposite , flowers blooming and the Goldfinches have come back to the garden along with Siskins and all the Tits.Strange things though Lou and I bought a Cream Rhododendron? 12 years ago which only started flowering a couple of years ago mainly due to the fact we kept on moving it around, any way this year its bloomed PINK hows that? seems to have reverted to the common colours we get in Wales How bizarre, We had a warm weekend now gone back to winter quite cold not very conducive to getting the garden ready I suppose I shall have to start getting all the pots and boxes ready for some fruit and veg growing.