Saturday 26 September 2009

Macaroni Dinner

Both the hedgehogs were out last night but I've not managed to stay awake late enough to see the fox for ages. Another hole appeared in the bank over night. Its twice the size of the Wood Mouse hole and it was surrounded by feathers. Too small for a rabbit. So Weasel or Stoat maybe? Gosh that would be amazing to get a shot of one of them. Well as long as they weren't holding something in their mouth that is.A couple of the Jays came to feed on my left over macaroni dinner, which was handy and saved me throwing it in the bin. I was in the back bedroom watching the birds this morning and spotted this guy on the other side of the glass. It still made my skin crawl and I had to use a zoom lens even though I new it couldn't possibly get to me. Even looking at the photo gives me shivers ooooooooo I need to get out there and take some more furry mice and fluffy chick shots.

Friday 25 September 2009

Broken Feeders


My new feeder has gone missing already. I bet it's that Snarly Sid again! I caught him red handed yesterday trying to run off with it. He is such cheeky monkey.And something has broken my wooden feeder too. I think that would have probably been Squizz's fault. She's so big now I'm surprised the whole feeder doesn't collapse when she gets on it. Anyway, the Blue Tit's don't seem to mind a bit about it. It's lovely having so many Robins around at the moment..

Thursday 24 September 2009

Robins & Squirrels

All 3 Squirrels visited today. Snarly Sid was still chasing Squizz away but he and Redfoot were quite happy to eat near each other at the feeder. I managed to get a photo of both the Coal Tits in one shot today, which is a first. They are usually so fast, just getting a photo of one is quite hard. We have 3 adult Robins here at the moment, who are constantly chasing each other. Robins are very territorial so maybe they are starting to work out who's going to stay where this Winter. One of the Robins is the most beautiful colour. The deepest, warmest red breast I've ever seen.

Wednesday 23 September 2009

Mysterious Sweetcorn and a New Visitor

Phil visited this morning. I didn't actually see him myself but my mum took this fantastic photo for me and has let me put it online as part of my blog. I love the expression on his face. Snarly Sid has been chasing poor Squizz around the garden again, the little monster!

I bought a new feeder the other day so I thought I would take a photo of it for the blog. I saw the Nuthatch feeding then fly off and then land again but it wasn't until I saw the photo that I realised there were actually 2 birds there. Could have sworn I'd only seen one. Then this afternoon Snarly Sid realised how easy it was to take it off the pole and open. He spent a good half hour filling his face full of nuts and the proceeded to bury the rest one by one in the garden, which took him the rest of the afternoon. I also think one of the Squirrels is the culprit for the sweetcorn cob which mysteriously appeared on one of the garden chairs over night!
Oh we've had a new visitor in the garden this evening. I had just put the food out for the Hedgehogs and foxes when this fellow turned up. He has a beautiful coat and looks well fed so maybe he has moved into a house nearby? Will ask around tomorrow to see, just in case some one's missing him.

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Squizz the model

I can finally share with you the photo I took for the Get Well Card to my little cousin Emily. As you can see Squizz helped, (eventually) posing like a true model.
Great news, we had a black bird back in the garden again today. Not sure if it was Mr No Tail or one of his chicks as I literally only got a fleeting glimps. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a better look and be able to tell who it is or if it is indeed one of the old ones.I managed to get a photo of a Grasshopper today. He was busy making lots of noise as he hopped around in the lawn. He was incredibly well camoflaged which is probably a good thing with the amount of birds which are visiting right now. I had over 20 Chaffinches at one point today on the lawn.

Sunday 20 September 2009

No time

Great Tit
My hope of having lots of photographs for the blog today didn't quite happen. I've literally only had a passing glimps of the garden all day. So I've not even got anything to write about either. Better luck tomorrow.

Lots to tell

I seem to have lots of things to report but not many photo's today.
I'll start with the sad news, I found the remains of one of the Nuthatch chicks this morning. He'd been killed by the Sparrow Hawk, such a shame. On a happier note though we have a pair of Coal Tit's visiting the garden now. I've only ever seen the odd one before.
I realised today I've not seen any of the blackbirds for ages, not even Mr No Tail. I'm hoping they've just found a good natural food source somewhere nearby and will all come back when the weather starts to get colder. Even the Jay numbers have dwindled. I'm lucky to see two at a time now unlike 6 weeks ago when I had up to 16 in the garden at once. And where are the Woodpeckers? So hoping they are with the blackbirds munching on wild fruit and bugs in the woods.
Oh, what I did see yesterday which is brillaint was a Kingfisher flying over the garden. There is a stream about 150 yards away from the house and a river about 500 yards away so I'm guessing he came from there. It was great to see even though it was quite a shock to look up and see a kingfisher flying overhead.
Baby Bunny has been in the garden again today, making the most of the lawn not being cut for quite a while I think.
Oh yes yes yes, just remembered something else. I saw a field mouse in the compost bin tonight. He was munching on the remains of a cob of sweetcorn. I think thats it for today, hopefully I'll have some more photographs for tomorrows blog.

Friday 18 September 2009

Squizz performs for the camera

Today I enlisted the help of Squizz to make a very special card for my cousin who is having an operation next week. I can't show you it yet (just in case she see's the blog) but this is one of the photographs from the preperation bit. Squizz performed brilliantly.I spent 6 hours waiting for the fox to visit last night but he never appeared. Even the food, well apart from the bits the hedgehogs had eaten, was still there this morning

PHILS BACK!


I don't think I've seen him since mid July but he's back. Phil the Pheasant just appeared this morning on the garden steps just as if he'd never left. So lovely to see him again.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

MESS ON THE STEPS

Not had much time in the garden today. Did spot this fly on a leaf, ok not quite so cute as a fox or a mouse photo but at least its not another pooh one! The Blackberries are perfect for eating now. Just noticed the mess the Squirrels have left on the steps.

Fox, Hedgehogs and Damsons

Fox and Hedgehog
Our new fox seems to be ever so fussy. I put some old cat food out last night as I do every night for the hedgehogs and as a treat my mum added some chopped bacon to it. This morning when we looked, the fox had eaten all the cat food and left the bacon? What sort of Fox does that? Tonight he has some left over chicken with the cat food, I wonder if he'll eat that? The hedgehogs have already been tucking in to their bit. I spotted some Damsons on a tree yesterday which was a surprise as I didn't realise we had a Damson tree in the garden. Hedgehog Pooh! Someone somewhere might be interested in that hheehhee Nuthatch about to land on the feeder

Monday 14 September 2009

Leonard the Wood Mouse


Leonard the wood mouse showed his face again today.The wild bit is full of ripe blackberries.

Sunday 13 September 2009

Squirrels are ace

This has to be my favourite squirrel photo I've ever taken. So so cute.

Heavily pregnant Squizz visited again today but was chased off by Snarly Sid, the little git!
All the feeders are bustling with birds and Baby Bunny has been back munching on the dandilion leaves again. Great day in the garden.

He came back


The Fox came back! So exciting.

Saturday 12 September 2009

Sunshine and birds


Photographing a fox in the garden was the best way I could have imagined for celebrating my 100th post. I'm still excited about it now. I wonder if he'll return tonight or if the cub might appear, I can't wait.

Today was sunny and warm in the garden and the birds where singing in every tree. The feeder was busy too. Lots of Bee's and insects in the garden aswell, not sure what type this one is though.

Friday 11 September 2009

The Fox is here

SOOOOOOOOO excited. The fox has just returned. Well this one is a lot bigger than the cub I spotted the other night but what great views of it, both me and my mum had this evening. I took the photographs through the window so couldn't use flash. The only light came from a small solar light which just about worked with a long exposure frame on the camera.

POOH!


Still not managed to get a photo of the fox cub yet but did find some unusual Pooh in the garden..... Yes really, I took a photo of animal pooh! It looks like a meat eater type but was full of red berries. As you have probably guessed I've not had any time watching the animals during the day recently, but hopefully tomorrow I'll have some nice wildlife shots for the blog.

Thursday 10 September 2009

BREAKING NEWS; FOX CUB IN THE GARDEN


I have just seen a fox cub in the back garden. I think he'd been eating the old cat food I'd put out for the hedgehogs. He ran off as soon as he saw me but returned a couple of hours later only to be chased off by Baby the cat. Poor thing. I spent the next 4 hours sat waiting for him with the camera, but he didn't come back. I did see the moon come up from beind the mountain and the stars were incredible.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

Sunshine at last

Sunshine, at last. Baby Bunny was enjoying every moment of it. Might be the first bit of sunshine he's ever seen. The Hover Flies were about too, enjoying it and the Buzzards. Red Foot was around this morning for a quick feast on the nuts.