My Garden

Wet and windy start

2012-01-27T20:05:00.004Z

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

2011-12-31T12:16:00.003Z

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

2011-11-02T09:56:00.009Z

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

2011-09-22T13:29:00.006+01:00

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?

2011-08-25T17:27:00.004+01:00

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

2011-07-27T17:51:00.002+01:00

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 ?

2011-07-06T10:36:00.004+01:00

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

2011-06-09T17:25:00.008+01:00

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

2011-06-01T16:18:00.003+01:00

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

2011-06-01T13:09:00.004+01:00

Electric Wooodpeckers

2011-06-01T12:46:00.006+01:00

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

2011-05-12T15:00:00.000+01:00

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!

2011-04-14T16:40:00.004+01:00

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.

The garden is flowering

2011-03-31T12:10:00.008+01:00

hi there, well the warmer weather seems to have arrived with the longer evenings. There are lots of plants flowering in the garden Daffodils in full bloom and the currant bushes starting to have leaves and flowers. The woodpecker came back and I caught a picture of him on the stone urn(not a brill photo but least i caught him).I had the chance with the dry weather to give Lou's Summer house a lick of paint and next week maybe the first Mow of the season then the garden will start to get its looks back, a Robin just popped in to say hello as the evenings get longer I will be able to do this blog more justice as I can have more time to capture more of the wildlife that visits us

Woodpeckers arrive

2011-03-17T15:30:00.004Z

Hey Its not often you get 2 posts in one day bur a Woodpecker suddenly turned up again and i had the camera handy so here's a couple of pix

Long days on there way

2011-03-17T09:24:00.006Z

This is a great time of year in the garden , lots of plants and flowers starting to sprout, just at the moment we have loads if Siskins on the feeders and I've just missed the first Woodpecker of the year taking peanuts from an old stone urn(Lou wouldn't have missed it i can almost here her cursing me) This was one of Lou's favourite times of year long days starting in a couple of weeks I even saw some new born Lambs yesterday whilst on a bike ride Lou loved the expectancy of there arrival and always got excited.
I know my posts are intermittent but with the onset of the longer evenings i shall more time to spend in the garden

Rising from the ground

2011-02-21T22:22:00.006Z

Things have started to happen in the garden this week all the Snow drops are out now and he doffodils are starting to shoot up I took some pictures this evening yes after work! (days are getting longer springs around the corner)I,m really looking forward to a couple of dry days so that I can tidy the garden a little and get it back into some sort of shape. Here,s a picture of Lou,s standing stone I,m in a bit of a quandary I may need your help When i first dug this Stone out of the ground Lou said it would make a great headstone for her grave, then when I put it up on the little hill she loved that too , so here,s my problem I agree with her as a headstone fantastic and as a feature in the garden also great so come on all out there help me decide Lou trusted your comments and so do I

The day of the Siskin

2011-02-10T19:49:00.006Z

Well I'm back from sunny warm Tenerife, back to a storm beaten garden and lots of rain, however tday its been quite settled and a flock? of Siskins decended on the garden. I took loads of photos of them grazing only to realise ( after theyed left i had the camera set wrong (I can here Lou groaning) so they were all blurred, i did manage a couple of shots of them on the feeder and caught this Coal tit on a bush. Everything is starting to sprout all over the place now so there are some exciting times ahead I cant wait. Oh I forgot to mention this female blackbird giving me the eye when i was in the kitchen

First signs of Life

2011-01-25T22:15:00.004Z

Just a short post before I head of to Tenerife to visit Lou's mum Sandra who like the Swallow migrates to the sun every winter.
Well winters is still with us heavy frosts now followed by normal North wales weather of horizontal rain,a few days ago when we had a hard frost I took a couple of pictures of grazing Chaffinches and a bonus of some plant life just starting to emerge from the earth first signs of new life this year roll on Spring

Wet and Windy back to normal

2011-01-13T13:09:00.001Z

Well the snows have finally gone and we have returned to our normal winter weather very wet and very windy.
The garden is a mess after the snow so i cant wit till we get some dry weather to tidy, mind you it hasn't stop the birds we have had the usual suspects plus the first visit for a while by two Jays and by the way they behaved they must be a couple of last years chicks as they did not appear as nervous as normal as the generations go by they are getting more and more bold not flying off when i was moving around in there sight. Also we had a visit from a cute little Coal Tit Lou's cousin Lisa took this picture

Snow free New year

2011-01-03T17:51:00.004Z

Happy New Year to everyone
The snow has finally left us t had covered the garden for the best part of two weeks, and feeding the birds has proved difficult, the one thing the birds require fat, has been frozen solid due to local temperatures going down to -20 one night however the birds have all come back with a vengeance even the lone Pied Wagtail has survived and still looking healthy.
In the next few days I shall go around the garden and take more garden pictures for you . I've added a snowy picture for you

Snows back for Xmas

2010-12-24T11:41:00.007Z

Well its back with a vengance snow snow snow
we've had so much snow here in North wales and more expected Boxing day, its been a tough time for all the birds in the garden very hard to give them water as it freezes so quickly. We've had the usual mix of birds though thet seem in greater numbers than i can remember in previuos winters especially Blue Tits , I think they had an extra brood this year. We have got one unexpected bird for winter here that is a pied Wagtail (just one ) that seems to have hung around I'll try and get a photo but every time a get the camera out he flies off ( i recall Lou complaining about that happening to her) she would have adored this amount of now and the NARNIA apearance of the area You All have a good Christmas out there in internet world and I'll post again in the New year Al

The thaw has started

2010-12-09T16:49:00.003Z

Well I said yesterday I'd go out and take some pictures of the snow covered mountains around us and guess what yep its started to thaw. having said that it is time for a rest after 2 weeks solid I took this picture of Blue Tits and Great Tits on the feeder this mourning and also a mountain picture taken fron the forest oposite the house. Lets hope with the weather improving we will get more visitors to the garden

The Snows back

2010-12-08T22:11:00.005Z

It does not seem that long since were snowed in but it was march how time has flown its 3 months since Lou passed away and as promised im trying to keep this blog going
We've had the usual bunch of visitors to the garden so far Chafinches, blue tits , geat tits ,Coal tits and of course our favourite the Nuthatch just at the moment i seem to be having trouble uplaoding pictures which is realy anoying but bare with me ill try to sort it. oops pictures have arrived i be better tommorrow i added a picture of Lou's summer house which looks lovely in the snow

2010-11-07T21:17:00.005Z

I think this one of the robin chicks that Lou spoke about a couple of months ago he's been hanging about he back door step for about a week now or maybe both of them(I'm not as good as Lou at telling the difference)winter has really set in now with the first snow on Moel Siabod which is directly above our house , here is a shot I took this morning of my favourite bird and i think Lou was quite fond of them a Nuthatch
I think I need to work on my publishing skills to get the pics in the right order I@ll try harder next time

2010-10-20T22:32:00.007+01:00

Its been 5 weeks now since my lovely Lucinda passed away , I thought it was time to update the blog. First thing to mention is that Lou had arrange her own funeral back in January when she was given only 3 weeks to live this makes all this years post even more remarkable and my undying admiration for such an amazing person grows with every day that passes. I thought this post will be different as I am going to post a picture of her grave in the Eternal Forest near Nefyn in North Wales it is a place with both fell in love with and decided that we both would be buried there, Lou spent many hours there over the the year making sure that every thing that happened on the day would be exactly as she wanted, and I can assure everyone that all who went were yes at times tearful but everybody left with a feeling of well being and all felt uplifted it had happened just as she wished and not many people have that opportunity or the mental strength to do so.
Now for he garden not a lot has happened we had a rare visit ( for this Year) of a goldfinch last month and Lou's squirrel friends are causing their usual havoc.
I promise to post some pix and notes later so bear with me and thank everyone who has sent me messages they all me so much to me and my family
Alan

2010-09-12T20:31:00.002+01:00

Its with great sadness that I have to tell that my darling wife Lucinda finally lost her long courageous fight with cancer and passed away peacefully on Friday 10th September. I know she was and is a great inspiration to many of you as she is to me.This garden blog has been the only outlet for her talents that her illness aloud her, in the past the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands or the plains of Africa were the places she would love to go to capture nature at its best, but alas with the onset of her illness travel became almost impossible for her so this blog became her passion. I would like to thank all those of you who have posted comments or emailed her. Where possible in the next few months I will try my best to keep this blog going with just a few post but dont expect the same quality

Again many thanks from me for you support for Lucinda

Alan Manouch

Your Messages

2010-08-25T22:21:00.000+01:00

Dear Lucy and Alan

Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Love and Best Wishes

Michelle xx Carys xx Carol xx

Your Messages

2010-08-25T22:16:00.000+01:00

Your Messages:

Anonymous said...
Thinking of you both, Andy Mac x
24 August 2010 12:56

Your Messages

2010-08-24T10:12:00.000+01:00

Your Messages:

Dear Lucinda,
I have got back from an extremely wet Isle of Mull - survived 2 weeks in a tent! Just looked at your blog and am really concerned to read how you are going through a sticky patch. I just wanted to let you know that me and my family are all thinking of you and rooting for you. You are such an inspiration to many people and as you know have quite radically changed my life's direction by inspiring me in my book writing - you will most certainly be number one in my list of acknowledgements!
I really do hope you can start to feel better soon.
Best wishes,
Sue Appleby.

Your Kind Words, Thank You

2010-08-23T20:16:00.000+01:00

Your Messages:

Anonymous said...
I have really enjoyed reading this blog - fingers crossed that Lucinda can weather the current storm and keep on with the good work.Thinking of you guys and hoping for the best.XXX
21 August 2010 23:29

Anonymous said...
I was recommended to come here by several of my friends, what a wonderful blog Lucinda, I adore your pictures, you have a wonderful selection of wildlife..I love bird watching and have severel come at my garden....Thank you for you wonderful blogg.thinking of you...Alison...S.Wales.
22 August 2010 21:58

Anonymous said...
Thinking of you all through the testing times!Nick x
22 August 2010 23:12

Anonymous said...
This blog has long been an inspiration to me, Lucinda's knowledge and beautiful pictures always make a fantastic read.All the best to her and hoping for a quick recovery!xxx
23 August 2010 12:26

2010-08-22T19:06:00.001+01:00

Your kind messages: Just seen the latest post on Lucinda's blog. Just wanted to pass on my best wishes for an improvement in Lucinda's health & say what a talented lady she is & how her blog is an inspiration to all. Truely wonderful. Found it via the Springwatch/autumnwatch messageboards & I will be thinking of her. Kind regards Rensterdenster from SW messageboards xxx

MESSAGE FROM ALAN

2010-08-21T21:43:00.004+01:00

POST: From Alan

I'm afraid to say Lucinda's has become very weak during these past few days and is unable to post. I will update the site with more news if things get worse but I'll pray for a miracle and hope she is back with us posting herself very soon.

Village Show

2010-08-14T06:22:00.005+01:00

I can't believe its a week since I last posted, time seems to be rushing by so quick yet I'm not getting anything done. Today is the day of our big Horticultural Show. I have been hankering a little pipe dream of entering this year, with my Carrots, Tomatos, Peas and Potatoes. However, its 6.30am and I haven't even started digging anything up and I know nothing about how to enter veg in a competition. Do you cut the stalks, trim the leaves, polish the pods? So I think for once I'll have to just dream a little longer. I've been so tired last few days that I've been reliant on other people to take photo's for me, mainly my mum and Alan and I am so grateful. Its amazing how much can change in the garden in just one week. We've had Visits from Squirrels (I think this is Squizz). The Woodpeckers have been here a lot even in the horrid rain we've had and to our delight the Greenfinches returned although but for a day. The sunflowers are my pride and joy right now although I have to admit, about 6 feet shorter than I what I had visualised when planting. I'm not 100% sure but I think and I may have said this before, we have a piar of juvenile RedStarts using our front field to hunt. The tail flick is there the red markings are starting to look right, could be another one for the garden tick list very shortly.

Heating Goes On

2010-08-06T17:41:00.004+01:00

Its been a grey and drizzly day here in Capel Curig today, even turned on the central heating. Wildlife wise not much to report except for my mum spotting this spotted moth land on her arm as we were walking in the garden. I've never seen anything quite like it really. The umbrellica plants are covered in an assortment of flies and beetles, the sheer numbers of them are quite scary. OH Oh great news, after 7 attempts of growing a cucumber this year I now have one with three yellow flowers on. It hasn't a single leave, something earlier ate that but there are definitely 3 flowers so all is not lost. And finally I spotted with Grasshopper on the steps at the top of the garden.

Spiders Nest

2010-08-05T20:59:00.004+01:00

My mum came over today so we had a great look around the garden. The most creepy find was this spider on my Pepper Plant. We noticed the leaves were getting eaten but no snails about but my very brave mother folded the leaves back gently and we finally discovered this female spider. In her arms she was rolling up a huge nursery of baby spiders. I had the decision on weather to leave them and say good by to my one and only pepper plant or should I get rid of them. I decided to pull the leaf off and place it in the wild bit of the garden where they should survive. The wild bit in the garden is full of Raspberries my poor mum slipped on an ants nest whilst trying to reach the juiciest fruits for me. Luckily she didn't get bitten. My Lavender is in flower now, I cant resist running my hands through every time I pass the bushes. My Sunflowers are doing well. My Tallest one has about 10 heads on it and the shorter one which is just about to flower is 10 inches shorter. They must have been different plants as I got them from my bird food mix. Talking of food mixes, my dried Scotch Broth mix peas are doing really really well. I had to laugh at Cheeky the Stray today. He managed to sneak himself into the spare bedroom then got locked in. First we new about it was when I looked up and spotted him on the window sill.

Orange Day

2010-08-04T20:17:00.002+01:00

My tomatos are all turning red now and are looking perfect for picking. The Nasturtiums (ok spelt it wrong) are perfect for picking too. This weird white slug was heading its way towards my Carrots but ended up in the nearby field instead.

20,000 hits

2010-08-02T20:10:00.002+01:00

20,000 hits, what more can I say except THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I know posting has been a little periodical recently but I do appreciate all your patience. THANK YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU

Jays, Jays, Jays

2010-08-01T22:17:00.003+01:00

Jays, Jays , Jays everywhere today. I could hear them from my bed all day. Alan managed to take lots of photo's of them for me for my blog. I could hear the Jay chicks fighting over the food and the parents trying to keep some sort of decorum. Every now and again a little blue tit would brave the mayhem and dash off with a peanut.

Bonking Beetles

2010-07-31T18:42:00.005+01:00

Lots of insects about today. Its certainly Soldier Beetle Bonking time of year, they are at it everywhere, all over my garden. Alan took this nice photo of Nuthatch for me today, I think he may have taken this one of a fly on a thistle too although it could possibly be down to my mums handiwork. My mum DID take this photo of a facinating green insect. Such an amazing shape.

Fledgelings

2010-07-30T18:18:00.000+01:00

It's rained and rained here today but it didn't stop the pair of Spotted Flycatchers play and feed at front of the house all day (no photo's) . I can't believe my birdcounter is now 54 just in my one little garden, thanks to them. There are lots of baby Jays about right now, fantastic to watch. There's a newly fledged pied wagtail here too at the moment. Oh we're finding some whole Cherry's too now on the lawn.

Circles of life

2010-07-29T18:13:00.002+01:00

My mum visited today and as she was digging in my compost she found these eggs just under the soil. New life about to hatch. Which was made more poignant as we'd just found the remains of what looks like a Sparrow Hawks kill on the lawn.

Sun came out

2010-07-27T22:42:00.006+01:00

The sun came out today so I went out into the front garden and made the most of it. My Scotch broth died peas mix are growing amazingly and I can see in the sun light the peas just about to grow inside. I even managed to get a bowl full of Salad leaves, mange tout and strawberries for dinner this evening. I wonder how long till the Carrots, Beetroots and Tomatos will be ready. My Nutstursians (ok spelt it wrong) that I planted from seed are now in flower. We had to move the sunflowers as they are growing so big now. Tallest one is now 25 inches. We've tied it up against the wall and discovered it has another 6 flower heads on it. So now I have a whopping decision, do I cope the heads off and leave just one to grow really tall or leave them to bush out? Decisions decisions. In the back garden we have Hair Bells appearing in the wild bit, which is lovely. I spotted a new bird on the fence, quite a way away but is was a Spotted Flycatcher , thanks to Kathryn for the ID.

Telling them apart

2010-07-26T13:19:00.005+01:00

If you didn't know much about birds it wouldn't be hard not to know both these little fellows were the same bird let alone the same species. This poor one has just started his annual moult after feeding his babies none stop for the past few months. He also got completely drenched and water logged so was sheltering in the cycle shed until he dried off a bit. We did finally get some sun shine as you can see this pair of Siskins enjoying. Are those Niger seeds sprouting in the feeder? Looks like it from here.

Another Baby

2010-07-25T13:03:00.003+01:00

Now this is a curious one. For weeks I've believed I only had one Robin chick this year and I've watched him daily on the feeder. Today Alan took a photo of him with his new red chest plumage just appearing which made me feel almost proud. It's like, buying new school uniform time packing their lunch box and sending them off on their first adventure. This was all amazing until this afternoon and I spotted this little fellow on my feeder, without the newly emerging red breast feathers! So all this time I have two Robin chicks without ever knowing it.

Bathing by Solar Light

2010-07-23T23:51:00.004+01:00

Sadly no time for bird watching today in the garden but I did spot this Snail, does that count? Alan did put up a new Bird Bath with solar light I got for my birthday today. Not sure who's going to be bathing in there at night but it will be fun to see if anyone does. Today was a good day though as I ate my very first home grown Blue Berry and it was gorgeous. Can't wait to feast on them and the Raspberries over the next few weeks. I noticed the rope on my Hammock has all degraded, good job no one tried to sit on it recently. Not much in the way of wildlife photographs today but here's a nice hairy backed fly for you.

MYSTERY SOLVED

2010-07-22T11:45:00.003+01:00

Now thanks to Fran Humpherson and her kindness in getting in touch, the mystery of these funny round Peanut things I kept finding is over. They are in fact Cherry stones of all things! I would never have guessed even though we have a 25 foot high Cherry Tree next door. What am I like!

Mysterious Nuts

2010-07-21T17:49:00.003+01:00

I got up really early this morning in the hope of getting the photographs I wanted to go with yesterdays blog and thankfully I managed to get every one of them. Was is worth waking up at 5am for a photo of something which resembles a round peanut, I don't know! Anyway, here they are. The Fungi are still everywhere and what did I say about the Raspberries, don't they look good enough to eat. Well they would be if I could reach them hhehheeee. I even spotted my favourite wild rose just starting to flower.

Drizzle

2010-07-20T04:25:00.000+01:00

I went outside into the garden for the first proper time since my birthday today, almost 2 weeks ago. It was drizzling and all had on was my Jim Jams and pink Wellies but in those few minutes I saw so much. On the new step there were 3 seed like things, the likes of which I've not seen before. Look a little like a peanut but round but anyway they were on the step just next to where the Thrushes smash their snail shells, so I think it may have something to do with them. Then I noticed the whole lawn is covered in fungi of differing sorts and if that wasn't enough the Raspberry Bushes are bursting with bright red fruit. As it was raining so hard my intention was to go out later and take some photo's but alas the rain just got heavier and heavier and here I am now with lots to tell you but not a single relevant photo. I even braved putting the nettle stew on my Tomato's, that I have left fermenting in the corner of the garden for last few months. The lady on the telly who told me how to do it was right, it absolutely stank! Lets hope it works as all my Tomato's are looking very neglected and the leaves a little yellowy black. After such a strong start in the veg garden, its amazing how easy it is for things to go downhill quickly. So lets hope for some sun tomorrow and lots of photographs.

Jays Arrive in Force

2010-07-19T21:37:00.005+01:00

Well what a lovely sight I woke up to today. The Jays had bought their new family of babies down into the garden for a visit. I saw 4 chicks but I heard more. They were so cute and were squabbling over everything and even getting told off by mum and dad quite often too. Their Crest's were up and down like a new found game and the noise! They sounded like a herd of constipated Wilderbeast with sore throats. I didn't manage to get a photo of all the mayhem but Alan got these two shots of the adults. I did get this little photo of a lovely baby Great Tit just before he slid down the rail in the rain. There were more than usual Chaffinches in the garden today, not sure why as I'd forgotten to fill the feeder up. Oh yes, there was a great big Black Toad in the shed today too, wonder if he lives there? The woodpeckers were here too, no baby though but they seem to be getting tamer, which is awesome.

In Flight

2010-07-17T21:22:00.004+01:00

Isn't this such a lovely photo of a Great Tit in flight with a great big sunflower seed in his beak. Alan took it on my camera and didn't even tell me he'd taken it until I was looking through all te others. There's a photographer in him in there, somewhere for sure. Yesterday I mentioned the Swallows late leaving their nests but today I spotted them collecting on the wires already, now that is early. The sun was in the wrong place so perhaps some may have been fledgelings waiting for food instead of getting ready for the off. It was Carnival day here in Capel Curig and for the first time in 30 years they decided to hold it in the field in front of my house, literally my front garden. The Speakers were a bit loud, that even the cats were to scared to venture outside. As for the bird feeder, not a bird anywhere. Still it was a good day enjoyed by loads and we get our peace and quiet back tomorrow. x

Drizzle Day

2010-07-16T00:18:00.005+01:00

Blue Tit

It's only been a few day since I left my garden to tender to itself , yet it looks as though a Tornado has blown threw. My Tallest Sunflower has been snapped and the others look a right mess. The only think looking promising are my Beetroot. The feeder is still full of birds with the Siskins are here in their numbers are the baby Robin still about. I spotted the Swallows on a nearby building were about the fledge too today, how exciting, only about 3 weeks too late for the rest of the country. I spotted this Gull acting peculiarly on the roof.

Baby Chaffinch

2010-07-15T00:08:00.000+01:00

I was wondering why I hadn't seen any baby Chaffinches this year when today it all became clear. The Mum from of this family has sadly been killed so this poor Dad has been doing all the feeding himself. He's doing a very good job though especially at keeping the baby well hidden from the dangers of SparrowHawks. I only just spotted them in the undergrowth.

Getting tired

2010-07-13T22:58:00.006+01:00

I am getting so so tired these days that writing a daily blog is becoming just a little too much for me so for a while anyway, it will will an every few days affair I think. Today I have had no time outside out all but I can tell you Alan spotted a Baby Black Bird, which is awesome, especially after what happened to Mr No Tails leg earlier in the breeding season. I didn't manage a photo but Alan did.

Party Times

2010-07-11T17:00:00.004+01:00

Wow now that has to be some record for recovering from a party wow. I did have a lovely evening but I'm afraid I've slept virtually every moment since. My poor garden has been neglected. However, on my little scout about just now I spotted Hegdehog pooh every where. Well not everywhere but two piles near the cat den and the others in yard. Maybe more than just two ? looks promising. The feeder has been full of birds and none more special than this baby WOODPECKER. Isn't he just adorabe. Alan actually took these photo's which proves how tame he's getting hehhehe

Hiding Squirrel

2010-07-07T22:32:00.004+01:00

The rain eased off this afternoon leaving us with patchy sunshine for the rest of the day. I caught a quick glance at this little squirrel but no idea who is was. The Chaffinches were about too and in fantastic plumage. Their colours were stunning especially the male. The little Robin chick was here all day along with all the Great Tit Chicks who just love playing on the feeder.

There's a good chance there won't be a blog tomorrow as its my Very Happy Birthday. I'll be back on Friday, hopefully . x

Rose Finch?

2010-07-06T21:40:00.003+01:00

We've had a mixed bag of weather today. Sunshine, wind, rain and now its very cold. I was out shopping all day but when we got back this evening we had some excitement at he top of the garden. It was hard to see with naked eye but through my camera I saw what looked like a rose finch. The colour was so intense compared to a normal Redpoll but it didn't come out in the photo as it was too dull a day and too far away. Hopefully we may get another visit tomorrow to get a proper ID. Now I have no problem ID'ing this chappy. The colours on his bum are amazing, I wonder why they have red bums? He looks like he's about to go to sleep in this one. They must blink very slowly as so many of the photo's I take of them have their eyes closed or partially closed. I usually edit them out but I thought I would show you one today. Oh we had a lovely visit from a baby Robin again . No sign of his mum or dad though.

Tired Mum

2010-07-05T21:17:00.005+01:00

I know, I know yesterdays blog was a little short but it was full of scrumptiousness. Today it's back to the Birdies and just look at this poor girl. If you knew having kids would leave you looking like this, you just would never do it, would you? As a complete contrast the babies just look so adorable. This Great Tit looked in fine form. I found this unusual insect on my window. I think its a moth of sorts but just look side on, it had a bent up tail like a scorpion. A crucified winged Scorpion hehehe. My veggie garden is doing great, we're still getting bumper crops of strawberries every day, amazing from just a couple of plants. The Mange Tout seem to be fading off a bit now. The Radishes have now bolted and turned too hard to eat. So I dug them and threw them on the compost today. I couldn't help have a sneak preview at the carrots. They are there just under the surface. How long now I wonder. They are going so taste so scrummy I just know it.

Potatos

2010-07-04T21:15:00.000+01:00

Piping hot and running in butter, now that's my sort of gardening.

SO EXCITED

2010-07-03T20:28:00.003+01:00

LOOK, Look, Look at my amazing Potatoes. I am so chuffed. All I did was put half a spud in a tub on the 22nd of April and look and it now. I got enough for four meals, I reckon. It was so exciting digging them up, not knowing what was underneath. A couple of them are absolutely huge too. I can't wait to have them for dinner today, covered in lovely, full fat butter. It's my Birthday on Thursday and I think this is the most exciting present I could get, the anticipation was awesome. Ok maybe I'm easily pleased. The Blue Tit babies are here on their own now, feeding on the feeder just like the adults.

Sunflowers reaching for the sky

2010-07-03T00:34:00.006+01:00

The sun was struggling to shine again here but I ventured 20 miles down the coast and it was another scorching day. I was away most of the day so not much got to tell you I'm afraid. I did notice this Mummy Blue Tit was finally getting a break from her four babies who are now feeding for themselves. I've still not seen the baby Woodpecker again. I wonder how long he keeps the markings on his head for? The rain yesterday did my BlueBerries a world of good. The looking very juicy and nearly ready.
My Sunflower plants are all growing at surprisingly different speeds. Even though they were planted together and live only inches away in their tubs , there must be a ten inch difference between biggest and smallest. My tallest Sunflower is now 20 inches high, thats a staggering 8 inches since 22nd June, wow. Amazing how much fun I'm getting out of someting so simple.

Rain rain

2010-07-01T18:03:00.006+01:00

While most of the country is still basking in sunshine, we poor inhabitants of Capel Curig have had torrential rain now for 24 hours. We needed the rain for the garden so not complaining really. These newly fledged Blue Tits didn't seem to mind as they played with each other. We had a visit from a family of 5 newly fledged Great Tits today too, so that's two new Great Tit families in my garden now. The Siskins visited too even though we have no Niger Seeds left. It was great to watch the order of species on the feeder. The baby Great Tits were definitely the bosses today then came the Siskins and finally the baby Blue Tits got to eat.Cheeky the stray cat has been missing for a few days. I wasn't worried as the weather was so nice. He was probably curled up with the llama again, honestly he sleeps on top of the llama in the field behind our house, bless him. Anyhow, he turned up again this morning with a piece offering. Poor little shrew. I would much prefer to be photographing a wild and alive one.

Moths About

2010-06-30T19:22:00.005+01:00

There have been so many new things in my garden recently and I'm not doing that great at names of these more specialised species. Obviously I know this is a moth but what sort? So many very similer ones around right now. This one seemed quite happy sat on Alan's finger. The Nuthatch turned up today. Not seen any babies yet but they were late last year too. Another Unnamed Beetle, well in fact its the same shape and size of a 'Dusky Cockroach' but its the wrong colour. There's so much I need to learn. It is sat on some seeded grass, so you can imagine how tiny it isNo visits from any Bunny Rabbits yet, I wonder what's keeping them away? I saw the Buzzard getting bombarded by two Sea Gulls today. He then went off to hover just like a Kestrel. The adult Robin blessed us with a visit, not seen her new baby today though. On the veggie front, well my tomato's are looking great. All still green but it wont be long before we're inundated. Need to measure my Sunflower again tomorrow, its definitely shot up in last few days.

Sunshine

2010-06-29T21:06:00.004+01:00

At 02:26 hours this morning we had the most amazing thunder and lightening storm which lasted a good half hour. Today was a scorcher, I spent most of it indoors though. Mr Woodpecker came around but didn't bring his new baby along with him, which was a shame. The baby Blue Tits where here in force and were joined on the fat feeder by a juvenile Great Tit. I spotted a Black Butterfly today, never seen one before, The outside of its wings looked brown and had markings on but when he opened his wings up the inside was black with no markings. I only managed a quick snap shot before it flew off. Berney the Squirrel showed her face today, not seen her in ages. She didn't seem to mind the heat.

Over the past few days the army have been flying their Helicopters very low. The big ones like this can make the roof shake on the house and sends all the wildlife away.

Siskins Return

2010-06-28T20:24:00.003+01:00

What a strange day we've had weather wise. The forecast said 'hottest day of the year', yet we have been under thick grey cloud all day. The wind picked up mid afternoon and now its pouring down. So much for a summers day. Thankfully the feeder has been used lots today with the return of the Siskins. I've not seen them since before I went away on holiday weeks ago. My baby Woodpecker stopped by again too but I wasn't quick enough to take any photo's. The Blue Tit chicks are now venturing to the feeder all on their own now. During a brief spot of sunshine this morning the crows ventured into next doors garden. Then seem to be going in there most days now yet never brave my garden. I spotted the Jays and a juvenile Great Tit feeding in the grass. I have absolutely no idea what this creature it, maybe a grasshopper? My mum snapped this shot for me yesterday. I can see through my window that I have 2 red ripe strawberries ready for eating but it's raining so hard outside that I don't want to get wet. What a dilemma

A new visitor

2010-06-27T20:55:00.005+01:00

I have to admit I've been ever so poorly the last two days and have not been strong enough to venture into the garden. Today though, I managed to get up to get a glass of water and as I looked out of the window I spotted my very first Baby Woodpecker. They stand out from the adults as they have an all red cap on their heads. I was so excited as I have never seen a baby woodpecker before, ever. My mum has been keeping me up to speed with what's been happening outside and she managed to snap these great photo's of a Slow Worm she spotted. Amazing how he managed to climb the steep garden steps just outside the kitchen window. Then he decided to disappear down the gap.

Tenko Film Set

2010-06-26T17:08:00.001+01:00

I spotted most of these bugs yesterday but I new I wasn't going to have time in the garden today so I saved them. My garden seems to be full of Grasshoppers at the moment. So much so when you go out sunbathing you feel like your on the set of Tenko. They are so noisy. My Cuckoo Spit is still dripping, I really must read up some more on that. This spider looks like he could give a good nip, if provoked. Oh I must tell you about my dried Scotch Broth Mix Peas that I planted. They are growing ever so well , no flowers just yet though. My garden is becoming such a haven for Bee's. This one was unusual as he was yellow all over. Now this little Beetle shone iridescent green in the sunlight. It was only the size of a rain drop. And finally my Chives are in full flower now.

Bug Club

2010-06-25T22:44:00.005+01:00

If you like bugs then my garden would have been Paradise for you today, they were everywhere and so many I have never seen before. This one was only one millimeter long but I could make out droplets of something stuck to its back. Now this could be the same creature but this had no droplets but did have a yellow dot instead. The Ants were acting strangely today. They were devouring something at the very top of a tall Foxglove and taking it in turns patrolling up and down the plant stem. There were Spiders everywhere too, I spotted this one on my Radishes right next to some more Caterpillars. Yesterday these caterpillars looked just like black dots, can't believe how quick they grow. Talking of veggies, my Strawberries are still producing a bumper crop. I got another 2 bowls full this evening. My mum spotted this unusual looking fly and took a photo of it for me, haven't a clue what it is but the back is such an unusual shape. I found the shell of a Black Beetle which was shining radiantly blue in the sunshine. Oh one last thing, my potatoes are coming through. I spotted a couple breaking the the soil today, now when should I pick them?

Quiet Again

2010-06-24T17:43:00.004+01:00

It's gone quiet again here. It must be because the temperature has soared again. Both Blue Tit families have shown their faces but only briefly. The Blue Tit with four chicks kept her chicks in pairs all the time they were in the garden. Which made feeding them quite exhausting for her. In previous years she's always fed them together on the feeder. I wonder if there's a Sparrow Hawk about and she's edging her bets keeping them apart? The wild bit is growing amazingly well, I wonder how many hundreds of plants are growing in there. I spotted a lot of these large flies in the wild bit.
And the Woodpeckers stopped by briefly this evening. Still no sign of their chicks. I noticed the Cuckoo Spit on the plants is dripping? Sounds strange I know but I actually saw water drops dripping from the leaves today. One of the cats left us a Slow Worm outside the back door. Fingers crossed he'll survive.

Babies, babies everywhere

2010-06-23T12:23:00.007+01:00

There's me saying only yesterday how quiet the garden is and today I'm surrounded by babies. This adult Blue Tit arrived with 4 chicks on the feeder this morning and shortly after this Robin chick appeared. Then another Blue Tit with just one chick turned up. Then a newly fledged Great Tit turned up without any parents. Then both Woodpeckers arrived and stuffed their beaks with food before flying off into the tree's. So they must have some babies to feed too. A very scruffy looking Jay turned up too but I missed the photo of him. The weather has cooled down a lot so maybe that's what bought them all out of the bushes. Whatever the reason, its wonderful to have a garden full of babies. And if that wasn't enough babies I've found another 50 on my Radishes. Lots of identical little caterpillars munching away. I could have sworn they were not there yesterday and today a whole plant has been eaten by them. At the top of the garden we found this. I've seen them before but I'm not 100% sure whats inside, any ideas?

Where have all the birds gone?

2010-06-22T20:16:00.006+01:00

Where have all the birds gone? I've sat watching for hours today and saw hardly anything moving in the garden. It's quite spooky. Maybe they are punishing me for going away last week and not keeping the food topped up. As I have no birdy photo's to show you I thought I would add some photo's of a Baby Bat I rescued a while ago. He was found on the ground in some leaf litter and was too young to fly. He was smaller than my thumb nail and looked and moved like an alien!He was in such a poor way that I ended up having to hand feed him and he lived in a sock hung from my neck. When he got stronger I was able to return him to his roost. I really loved looking after him. Back to my baron garden, well are are no birds but my veggies are doing well. I had to pick a load of Radishes today as they were about to bolt. The mange tout has not made it as far as a plate yet. My wild Fox Gloves are in flower. I've decided it's time to measure my Sunflowers. My tallest one today is 12 inches high. I've never grown them before so have no idea how quick they grow or even when they flower. I really should be measuring my nettles as they tower above me now. I did spot some pooh on the lawn today which looks very much like Bunny Pooh. I'll have to keep a look out for him.

Blue Tit Chick

2010-06-21T22:50:00.005+01:00

It was a scorcher here in Snowdonia today which I think had something to do with the garden being so quiet. Very few birds visited the feeder but my mum did catch a glimpse of a Blue Tit feeding her chick. I wonder if it could be one from our box that survived? I cleaned the Nest Box out today and all that was in it was one perfectly formed egg. Incredible to think that came out of a Blue Tit! This evening, I ate some more home grown Strawberries they were gorgeous and picked handfuls of mange tout. The Beetroot and Carrots are not far behind. There are not many Butterflies around but I did spot this daytime flying moth hidden in the wild patch. I didn't have much time in the garden today hence the short blog. Hopefully I'll be back on form tomorrow

I'm Back

2010-06-20T17:04:00.006+01:00

I'm back, I wish I could say from a fantastic holiday but unfortunately I spent most of it hooked up to drips at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. It wasn't all bad though, I did get to go to Pensthorp where SpringWatch is being filmed and saw Chris Peckam and Kate Humble practicing their lines for the evening show, which was quite exciting. Back to my garden, well it's definitely been dry since I went away as all my veggies had wilted. My strawberries have survived though, I will certainly be having a bowl full for dinner tonight. The birds are keeping their distance today, I think the feeder has been left to run out. There were plenty of flies in the wild patch. This one was so tiny, it just looked like a black dot until I zoomed in.Now I haven't a clue what this is! I found it wriggling along the decking. It's the grub of something, but what? My money is on a crane fly, i've never seen one before but I know they are called Leather Jackets and this seems to fit the description.Hopefully tomorrow the blog will be back to normal.

Insects Galore

2010-06-13T18:07:00.006+01:00

It's been a wet and chilly day here. I did manage to go outside for a few minutes in between showers and disturbed Mr Woodie hanging on the back of his favourite chair. The Cuckoos are still calling and Phil the Peasant is making a right racket on the hillside. It's been a day for insects again which I don't mind but I wish I knew the names of them all a bit better. Ok I can't go wrong with this one, its a Bluebottle and I think this is just a common house fly. This one though, I don't know for sure. I saw my first wasp of the season today and for those of you who followed the incredible wasp saga last year, guess where he was? Yep , back near the steps again. I thinks its a Field Digger Wasp but I'm not 100% sure. Oh I have to show you this, I found it on the grass, its a Woodpecker feather. How awesome is that. I'm going to put in in my display cabinet next to my blue Jay feather and meteorites. I have quite a collection of interesting trinkets like that but what I have always wanted is a red feather from a Woodpecker or a Kingfisher feather, now that would be awesome. Back to the insects. This is a Silver Ground Carpet, a daytime flying moth. Now I've not seen these very often in my garden but I remember when I was very young I used to squish them on my finger in the playground and pretend it was bleeding. How cruel we are when we're little. Counted over 39 Bee's on the Raspberry Canes today. I spotted this shell at the very top of the garden. Unlike the one I photographed yesterday which had been smashed by the Thrush, this one has been nibbled away from the top of the spiral and then the body pulled out and eaten. Could be several animals who do this but my money is on the Hedgehogs. They should be due out soon with their babies after I caught them 'at it' on April 24th. I think the parents bring them out to feed at 3 weeks old. So exciting. I've only ever seen one tiny baby here.

Finally, I've got to go away for a few days so I'm afraid there won't be any blog. My Cat sitter has already arrived. I call him my cat sitter but he spends more time feeding the birds and enjoying the garden as much as I do. If all goes well, switch on again on Friday.

Busy Bee's

2010-06-12T22:19:00.006+01:00

'Bee Shadow'

Last night I went to listen to the NightJars. They nest about 2 miles away from my house so officially they are not in my garden. However, the incredible haunting whirling sound they make is so awesome, I just had to tell you. I did try and record it on my camera but the video wasn't good enough to capture the sound so you'll have to take my word for it, unless that is, you are lucky too and have some near by. On the way home I spotted lots of these little creatures! Can you see him? Amazingly well camouflaged. I took lots of photo's of Buzzy things today as the garden was full of them. I think I saw 4 different types of Bee which is pretty good for one little garden. For a moment today I got all philosophical. It suddenly hit me that the more I learn about nature the more I realise I don't know. Take this flower for instance. Fifteen years ago I would have sworn blind this was a Dandelion but know I know the leaves are all wrong and it could be one of twenty flowers which all look the same. I find the yellow ones like these and the tall tiny white flower umbrelica type, virtually impossible to name confidently. Even armed with all my books. I find birds so much easier to ID. I checked my Bumblebee house to see how we were getting on but the only thing I found was an Earwig. Ok its wildlife but I was hoping, if not for Bee's, at least a rodent or even snake. I decided the location wasn't right so I have moved the box it to somewhere where the sun can hit the roof and make it warm inside. I may even put a hose in the hole and make a tunnel from the wild patch into it. I didn't take any bird photo's again today but I did find the remains of a Thrush's dinner, where he'd smashed the snail shell on the protruding stone. My mange Tout are almost ready to eat! It's been weeks since I've seen a Robin or any of the Black Birds, I hope they are all ok and are just busy elsewhere raising young. I can't wait to see all the babies.

Buzy Bee's

2010-06-11T18:08:00.006+01:00

I was glad to see the sun shine this afternoon after such a cold and gloomy morning. Not that I saw much of the morning after staying up so late last night. I don't think I can top photographing GlowWorms but I do love this photo of a Bee about to land on the Buttercups. Needs a caption like 'let me at em' or 'here I come, ready or not'. Unusually I only took one photo of a bird today at it was this one of a Swallow. They used to nest on our house until we had a new roof a few years back. Now I only get brief glances as they fly around catching insects. Can't wait for their babies to fledge and I get great views of them lining up on the wire. My most interesting spot today was these mating Beetles. The poor things had me photographing them and then if that wasn't enough intrusion, another Beetle came along and wanted a bit of the action. My mum spotted this 'Ground Hopper' on the track today. I find it difficult to distinguish between Ground Hoppers, Grasshoppers and Crickets but my money's on Ground Hopper today. A mysterious hole has appeared in the soil just behind the Strawberry plant in a plastic tub. Finally I saw this tiny spider hiding on the last remaining Pak Choi. So what to do tonight? The only way to beat going GlowWorm watching at this time of year would be to hear the NightJars. It maybe too early in the year but I'll give it a go, wish me luck

BREAKING NEWS: GLOW WORMS

2010-06-11T01:07:00.010+01:00

What an exciting night I've had. I was sat quite happily on my sofa watching today's episode of SpringWatch unsprung on the TV and following the discussions on the Message Boards when some one mentioned GlowWorms. Now I absolutely adore GlowWorms and have been following several colonies for years. It all started the day of my 21st birthday. I started chatting to an elderly man when the conversation turned to GlowWorms. As a boy he use to come to Llandudno for holidays and always went GlowWorm spotting on the Great Orme. It had been 50 years since he'd seen them and we even checked with the Warden there but she had never heard of any. So I decided to postpone my birthday celebrations and go GlowWorm Spotting on my 21st instead. The first place we tried had none even though this had been the best spot all those years ago. We soon realised what a long shot this really was. But then we went to another site a few miles away and to our delight aftre only minutes of looking we found 18 of them glowing bright. I can't think of a better way to spend a birthday. Sadly a couple of years later, Llandudno witnessed dreadful floods and the hillside where the GlowWorms habitated, collapsed into the sea. It was a long wait the following year to see if any had survived and thankfully there were 2 females. The following year we had 4 females and last time I checked there were over 100. A few years later I moved into this village the first thing I did was go GlowWorm Spotting and I was so lucky to find another colony. Not officially in my garden but I can get to them quicker than a kettle boils. Now even this colony hasn't had it easy and probably all my own fault. They are situated in the grounds of an old building which had been left alone for many years, but recently a group of people got together to try and save the building. They had all good intentions but sadly they started mowing the grounds just as the GlowWorms were breeding. I have always been secretive about exact locations so people don't just turn up with a jam jar and destroy everything, but their mowing was decimating the colony so I took the chance and had a word with a few people on the committee. The following year, sadly my worst fears were realised and word got out of their existance. I searched for weeks but not a single one was found and again the following year, nothing. It only took one stupid selfish person with a jar, collecting the females for their own garden and not realising the males wouldn't know were to find them. After not seeing any for such a long time here I had totally given up until I saw the thread on the BBC Message Board and felt the urge to have one last look. You couldn't imagine my delight when I saw in the long grass that wonderful unmistakable green glow. OK I did only see one but as the males don't glow, they could be there and all you need is a pair to get the colony back again. I do feel protective about them and I don't know how best to save them from sticky fingers this year. My only hope is the person responsible doesn't remember what month to look. Wow that was an essay but I needed to get it off my chest. :-) The stars are wonderful again tonight.

Butterfly Eggs

2010-06-10T21:41:00.004+01:00

It looks like the tireless Large White Butterfly that I was watching for hours the other day finally got her wish and some how got through the netting on my Pak Choi and laid some eggs. Part of me was quite happy as I found the Pak Choi I tasted yesterday totally disgusting. But I do have a confession, I thought a Pak Choi was a lettuce and not a cabbage (now my hair is growing back I can say its a blond moment again hehehe). No wonder it tasted so foul raw. I did try to steam some today to give it another go but I still didn't like. I think I'll dig them all up and plant them in my wild bit for the wildlife to enjoy. It will give me some more space to plant some more veggie's too in their place. A Heron braved the rain as he flew above the garden to get to the river. The garden has been quite quiet so I had a gentle walk up the hillside, where I spotted this poor sheep with a length of barbed wire stuck to him. I did try and get it off but I couldn't keep up with her. Hopefully the farmer can use his dogs tomorrow and get it off her. On my walk I spotted this unusual thing, a slug on a thistle? Why was he there? The leaves looked in tact, but I suppose he could have been feeding, safe from the birds. There were lots of insects about especially Midges, gosh they were bad today. I saw some Rabbits on my walk but wasn't quick enough with my camera. I'll have to wait for the babies to come to the garden, which they usually do in the summer. The Thistles are just about to flower. I was sat in my Dr's waiting room today and was browsing through the magazines when I found a fantastic article on Swifts. Did you know, apart from when they are nesting, they never stop flying. In order to sleep, they fly 10,000 feet up and have mini power naps as the glide back down to earth asleep. They can wake up 50 miles away from were they fell asleep. Amazing. Just watched Springwatch, maybe the Woodpeckers got my Blue Tit chicks!

Spit drinking Beetle

2010-06-09T20:23:00.006+01:00

Well I think we've had a months worth of rain in a day today, which has left my bird table empty for most of the day. Can't blame them for finding shelter. When the rain finally stopped this evening I went out to see if I could see anything new. What I did notice was a huge amount of Cuckoo Spit everywhere, much more than in previous years. Has anyone else noticed that this year? What really took my attention was this Beetle, who looked like he was drinking up all the spit in order to eat the grub inside. You can just about see the bug right a the bottom of the spit , probably hoping the Beetle will get full before he reaches him.When the rain stopped the damp ground bought all the Midges out, first ones this year and they were in biting mode, so I lit up my Chimera to keep them at bay and it worked. I spotted another wild flower today, not sure what it is, I am useless of my flowers. The Woodpecker braved the rain and started to hammer on the telegraph pole. He then flew straight over my head, so close. After the visit from the squirrels yesterday I did need to buy some new feeders. It took until late this afternoon a before any bird braved them, the Siskins were the first back. The Wood Pigeon showed himself today. I can usually only hear him calling from inside next doors tree. My edible garden surprised me today. I woke up and found my Pak Choi had 'bolted' overnight. I presumed that meant I'd left it too late to eat, as it does with broccoli and things but I checked online and 50% of the sites I visited said 'the best bit of a pak Choi is the stem as it's bolting and just before the flowers open. So today was the day. I excitedly got my knife out cut a bit off and chewed. Yuck! It was all stringy. Last time I believe the Internet heheee. I did have one success though. I picked some of my Lemon Balm and Lemon mint and infused with some honey and lemon and it was lovely. Can't wait for my Blueberries to ripen. yum yum. Oh I almost forgot, the Blue Tits. Well I don' know what has happened. Today there was no signs of the parents or any noise coming from the nest box. I've even looked in the hedges and trees but nothing. Usually they stay close by for a few days and I see them in the bush next to the feeder. But No, not even twitter. It's strange too as Blue Tits don't usually fledge in bad weather. Alan's just told me he saw the Jays hanging around there yesterday so maybe, I hate to say it, but maybe the Jays have got them. I'll keep scanning the bushes just in case. Oh finally, I heard Phil the Phesant on the hill today. The bad weather must have bought him down. Maybe he'll pop by tomorrow for dinner.

No Time

2010-06-08T23:04:00.005+01:00

Well I have to be honest and say I've had no time to watch what is going on in the garden today. By the time I got home it was already getting dark so I don't even know if the babies have fledged.I hope I haven't missed it. It's been raining hard over night with bought out the Snails. This one was desperately trying to work his way through my netting to get to my Herb Garden. It's good to see some rain as our stream has virtually dried up and the houses up the hill are not on mains water so they are really struggling. Alan caught this quick glance at the Jay when he was waiting for me to get ready this morning. He's the same one who's been here a lot in last couple of days with his funny messy back feathers. I haven't got any in my garden but the Laburnum in the village is stunning right now.This little fellow popped by to just before I went out. I bought a new feeder whilst I was out, just in case he'd destroyed this one by the time I got home.My Nasturtiums are growing an inch a day at the moment, that's incredible. They are all part of my edible Garden bit. Can't wait to try some of the flowers. Although over night some white mold has appeared on the compost. Not sure what to do about that but I will not water it today just in case.Sorry I haven't got much to tell you today, maybe tomorrow I'll be showing you photo's of some fledglings?

Still not fledged

2010-06-07T20:25:00.005+01:00

Can you believe it, my Blue Tits still haven't fledged. I'm starting to think even the adults don't believe they're going to leave as they are making the nest box hole ever bigger. I can't wait to see them emerge as I still have no idea how many are in there. This afternoon I was watching the swallows flying around the house when I heard the all too common noise of another poor Buzzard getting attacked by Crows again. They chased him overhead then grounded him in a big gorse bush. How he got out unscathed I don't know but after a few minutes he was back again and they then chased him away through a medley of overhead cables, into the tree's. I've been stuck in bed a lot these last few days and my friends and family have been eager to grab hold of my camera and take some photo's for the blog (just in case I didn't manage it). Funny thing is yesterday they all came back with photo's of Slugs. Alan took this wicked close up of a Black Slug and my mum took this nice full body shot. In the garden my wild Foxgloves are in flower alongside the beautiful Forget-me-nots. I was only saying yesterday how I'd been hearing but not seeing the cuckoo and today here he he is. Not such a close up photo as last year but there is still time.

'Last year'

Flying Visit

2010-06-06T18:35:00.005+01:00

The first thing I saw out of my window today was this wonderful Woodpecker grabbing hold of a garden chair. How gorgeous is that. It almost warrants a caption I reckon. Not long after, I was disturbed by a racket outside. I looked out of my window to come face to face to a Buzzard! Two Crows had actually managed to ground it. The poor thing, he was getting dive bombed from all directions. I didn't manage a photo of the Buzzard but I caught one of the crows as he flew off. It's been a day of birds today really with this wonderfully coloured Jay arriving not long after. The feathers on his back looked very scruffy and I'm wondering if maybe he was feeding some young and the constant in and out of the nest was making this happen? This Blue Tit was a little over enthusiastic with this bit of kitchen scrap. He could hardly fly with it. My Blue Tit chicks still haven't fledged. They are ever so noisy now and I can hear them clearly moving around inside the box when I'm in the Summer House. We had a pair of Coal Tits and Siskins and this very blue coloured Dunnock visit too. The Cuckoo is still calling in the forest although I've not seen him once on the perch he used all last year. So frustrating not getting a good view of him. Oh I've baited my new Butterfly House with old fruit to see if that helps entice new visitors.I just want to say hello to everybody from BBC's Springwatch message boards. It's fantastic having so many new lookers popping by. If only the BBC could give us Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter Watch too. Now that would be fantastic.

Poor Moth

2010-06-05T18:56:00.009+01:00

I have lots to tell you today. It started when I noticed this lovely Moth appear from beneath the old flower pot. He looked immaculate but was struggling to get a hold of the grass. He eventually gave up and just flopped there for ages. I wondered if maybe he had just emerged? About quarter of an hour later I saw him move again and he flew up into the sky. Only to immediately be caught by one of my Blue Tit parents, who quickly bit its wings off then flew off into the bush to finish it off. Nature is so harsh at times. The Blue Tits have been great to watch today. The dad has his own little route from the nest box to the cherry tree, where he picks up a grub then to the feeder for a seed from the fat ball then back to the nest box to feed the babies. The mum on the other hand just collects browny looking stuff, not sure what it is. I noticed how the feeding behaviour of the Great and Blue tits has changed. In the past they would grab a nut from the feeder and fly straight off but now they sit and eat the whole thing a the feeder ready to regurgitate to their babies when they get back. The Great Tits parents are looking quite rough with all the feeding too. Isn't it amazing how well camouflaged Crickets and Grasshoppers are. They were calling quite loud today. We had lots of Beetles again the in the wild patch. I spotted one amazing one which had a bright green head and a shocking pink bum but I forgot to put my memory card in my camera again and missed it. There's doesn't seem to be many Snails around this year, which is great for my veg patch but I guess my hedgehogs not quite so happy. I spotted this tiny one hiding beneath a leaf. I think I've killed another Cucumber plant. This is attempt number 2. I still have another 3 I'm growing from seed so all is not lost yet. My Dried Scotch Broth Mix Peas are doing really well. 4 out of the 6 germinated and I repotted them today. Dandelion heads are so beautiful aren't they, just makes me want to blow hehehee Oh we had a visit from a Jay today too, its been ages since they were in the garden.

Belly in the Dirt Day

2010-06-04T18:35:00.004+01:00

It's been another belly in the dirt photography day today. Lots of insects of all shapes and sizes but first an update on the Blue Tit Chicks. As I said yesterday , I kept 'Cheeky' the stray in overnight and oh what a night! Of all nights he decided to have a bad belly and ended up throwing up and having diarrhea all over the house. Not nice. But the Chicks were saved. Today we came up with the brainwave of taking the flower boxes off the side of the Summer House so Cheeky couldn't get up there It was only two screws and didn't disturb the parents at all. So fingers crossed. Back to the bugs... My mum and I watched as this Cabbage White Butterfly tried for hours to land on my Pak Choi Lettuce. I think he wanted to land and lay his legs but the netting was stopping him. In the end I felt so sorry for him that I pulled off a leaf for him and placed it on top of the netting just so he could land! This Beetle was happy in my wild patch. Still loads of cranefly's everywhere. And lots of Buzzy things too. The wild patch is full of grasses which look gorgeous at this time of year. I spotted this flower too, lovely pink.

Its been all about the Blue Tits

2010-06-03T22:00:00.006+01:00

What a day its been here. It started this morning, I went up to the top of the garden to check my Blue Tit Chicks. As I looked around the corner of the summer house I had a feeling something was wrong, then I noticed a lot of the nest box bedding all over the floor. The hole in the box had got even bigger too. My immediate thought was something had got in there I was gutted but then only moments later I heard the familiar call of the Male Blue Tit telling me to buzz off so he could feed his babies. You wouldn't believe how relived I was. So I carried on pottering around. I thought it was a shame to let the nest box contents to go to waste and I was looking for something to fill the Bumble Bee Nesting box up with so the two ideas made sense. So I quietly went over and picked up some of the bedding off the floor. Only to find the body of one of the Blue Tit Chicks. The adult must have accidentally pulled all the bedding out as she was trying to fly the body out. So sad. But it didn't end there. Later on in the day I heard the parent Blue Tits going mad again so I ran to the top of the garden to find 'Cheeky' the stray cat actually sat on that flower box shelf below the Nest box. He could have easily sat there and just shoved his paw right in the hole. I shouted and he jumped down thankfully but now I have a problem of how to project them from Cheeky. I can't put barbed wire up as they could easily impale themselves as they fledge, which they should do in next day or so. Its almost like Cheeky has been waiting deliberately for the chicks to be big enough for him to bother with. Anyway I decided the easiest way was to catch Cheeky and lock him indoors until they fledge. He won't be happy but can't see any other solution. The rest of the garden has been a lot more serene. I noticed the lawn was covered in white and purple Clovers today, well it was just before they all got mowed away. Again there has been some amazing looking flies about. I used to call this 'Sticky Willy' in school as we used to chase each other and get them stuck all over our clothes. I must look up the official name for it. On the veg patch everything is thriving in this wonderful weather, even my Chives have decided to flower. I put my Butterfly House up as well today. Oh back to my Bumblebee House. Within half an hour of siting it, I noticed something had already dragged some twigs and grass through the hole. I know it's a little late for the Queen to start laying but I will be just as happy if a Vole family move in.

Buttercups and Springwatch on the BBC.

2010-06-02T20:34:00.005+01:00

I woke up today and found our lawn covered in beautiful Buttercups. A lovely sight in the early morning light. Looking closer I spotted each flower was covered in what I call Micro Moths. I think the official name is 'Micopterix calthella'. This is an even closer photo of one that I took last year. Just look at the Hair, it makes Boris Johnson's look quite tame. Bracken has just started to grow on the hill behind the house again. This lamb was munching away on it, quite happily although I'm not so sure how good it will be for him. I managed some belly in the dirt photo's today. This fly had the most amazing snout on it.I've been watching The BBC's Springwatch over the past few days and saw their Blue Tit Chicks fledged today. Apparently they were a late brood but mine are even later. I still think there's another week before mine are ready to go. I received an email last night, quite secretive just saying 'check out the BBC's Springwatch message board'. So excitedly I did and to my surprise someone has asked about my Blog on there. It was featured in last years Autumnwatch and I got so many hits, it was amazing. It's incredible that random strangers are taking the time to write lovely things about my blog. Such a lovely feeling. Thanks to Katheryn too for letting me know. Back to my front garden and my Radishes are so big they are virtually jumping out of the tub. I also counted over a hundred Strawberries, I can't wait :-)

Squirrels Come to Town

2010-06-01T20:55:00.005+01:00

Great News. We have what looks like breeding pair of Squirrels in the garden today. They were not fighting or chasing each other, which for squirrels in my garden is unheard of unless they are a couple. So that's quite exciting. I've yet to have a young or baby Squirrel in the garden. More good news, I have been spoilt today. Alan gave me two fantastic presents. The first is a Bumble Bee House. Its made out of solid wood and will sit neatly in the bank at the top of the garden. With the massive decline of Bee's of any type right now, this is just perfect. Will make me feel like I'm at least trying a little bit to help. It's not easy to get Bee's to nest in these boxes and the leaflet suggests either capturing a Wild Queen Bee and plugging her into the house of 24 hours so she starts laying. Or, finding somewhere an old Mouse Nest and use the bedding inside the box. Apparently Bee's just love the smell of the old nests. How on earth will I find one? Well I've put an appeal on my local Freecycle site and have my fingers crossed. Who knows, maybe someone somewhere will have just come across one. The other option is to just sit and wait to see what happens. The box had a slide away glass roof so you can watch inside. How amazing is that. My second pressie is a Butterfly Fly house. Again its stunning to look at with a solid wood body and a copper roof. This will be sited on the outside wall of my Summer House. We had a pair of Nuthatches on the feeder today. Don't usually see two at once. My BlueBerry Bushes are just about to start to fruit, I can't wait to taste my very own home grown Blueberries.

I've just been told the flower I have down as a type of Chickweed on the 25th of May is in fact 'Cuckoo flower' (Cardamine pratensis) or in Welsh Blodyn y Gwynt, which means flower of the wind.

Woodpeckers Everywhere & Springwatch on the TV

2010-05-31T20:14:00.004+01:00

It's been the day of the Woodpeckers today. They've been into everything and have become very bold. This one was standing in my favourite plant pot. This one landed on the washing line post. Then finally I almost got my Woodpecker in flight shot that I've been after for such a long time. He's in frame but not sharp, so I'll have to keep on trying. Good News, SPRINGWATCH is back on our TV screens. Last year I got a mention on their Message Boards so fingers crossed I might do again.

Woodie Loves Mashed Potato

2010-05-29T23:07:00.004+01:00

Cold and Wet is the only way I can describe this morning although it did warm up slightly in the afternoon. I've discovered our Woodpeckers love Mashed Potato. I put some out last night and they couldn't get enough of it. This Nuthatch and Great Tit braved the rain to get the peanuts. The Nest Box has taken another hammering and now the post has broken off. Thankfully this hasn't disturbed the adults too much and they're still feeding at minute intervals. I could actually hear the chicks calling inside today every time they heard a parent approaching. Not quite as cute as Blue Tit chicks but my Inca Tomato plant which I thought had died seems to have sprung a second life next to some Mange Tout. I've not spotted Mr No Tail in the garden since a few days after his accident. However, I spotted this Male Black Bird on the Telegraph Pole. Too far away to identify him for sure.

Snail Attack

2010-05-28T16:34:00.006+01:00

Last night, I did a midnight Snail and Slug hunt in my Veg Patch. I found 3 huge snails tucking away on my greens. I carefully removed them and took them over to the field where they can munch at whatever they want without damaging my salad garden. Today its been beautiful, not too hot with a gentle breeze. The Buzzard was having a hard time from the Crows. This Goldfinch popped around for a short while, I don't think he appreciated the competition for the Niger Seeds. The Blue Tit Chicks were being feed an assortment of things today. In this photo he looks like he has a beak full of beetles or even wasps. And in this one it's green caterpillar's. I planted out my Sunflowers today. I pinched a few seeds from my Wild Bird Food and they seem to be growing really well. My Scotch Broth Peas are doing even better. I'm not sure what I should be doing with them now, should I plant outside or keep inside? As they weren't from a conventional seed packet I don't know what exactly they are.

Quiet Day

2010-05-27T18:33:00.003+01:00

Not much to tell you today. The weather was cooler and there were a few more birds about on the feeder. This pair of Siskins were loving the Niger Seeds. This female Chaffinch was happy with the sunflower seeds on the ground. How cute is this little Blue Tit. Loving the hair do!

RPA and RHS

2010-05-26T15:37:00.013+01:00

'The Wild Bit'

Well I better start with news of TINTIN the racing pigeon who arrived yesterday. I contacted the Royal Pigeon Association who gave me the telephone number of the owner in Reading! Initially the owner sounded excited that I'd found his precious bird that was until he realised I was in Snowdonia. He then didn't want to know, said it would cost him £35 to have him picked up and what use is a bird that can't fly. 'My Garden Blue Tit'

He didn't even want my phone number. So I called the RPA again and they informed me that he is honour bound to collect the bird otherwise he would be struck off as a member and be unable to compete again. They were very nice and even arranged for a local member to collect the bird tomorrow. Sadly when I went to check on TINTIN this afternoon, he had died. Very sad. 'Blue Tit parent'
On a happier note I've found out I'd been mentioned on the Royal Horticultural Society's official blog. It was a while back but they mentioned me and my blog which is so exciting.
Link: Woodpeckers find a louder drum - Miranda Hodgson.
I am loving the Chelsea Flower Show right now, I would love to go but always forget until I see it on TV when all the tickets have already been sold. There has been a lot of Military Action in the skies today, not the usual rescue helicopters. Back to my garden and things are quite quiet. Just a few birds on the feeder but no mammals showing themselves. There are loads of insects about, especially Orange Tip Butterflies but I still not managed a photo of them. Tonight I went to my friends Chris and Penny's house to see their new garden members. They purchased a camera for their nest box and last week 8 (we think) eggs hatched. They have it on a live feed onto their huge TV so the Blue Tits look a foot tall. Amazing to watch them so close up. I'm never that organised to set something like that up in time. Always remember when its too late. My veg is doing amazingly, my strawberries are covered in flowers and my potato plant looks incredibly healthy. Something has been nibbling the edge of my Pak Choi. My Peas and Tomato's are both flowering now too.

Another New Visitor

2010-05-25T21:27:00.004+01:00

Last night saw the arrival of TINTIN (yes we've name him already) the racing pigeon. I think he is just too exhausted to fly. I found some grey feathers on the drive so perhaps he's missing some crucial flight feathers? That would make sense. Anyway the poor thing was at risk of being killed by Cheeky the stray or even one of the foxes so he's now living quite happily in a large cat box in the spare room. Hopefully tomorrow I will hear back from the National Pigeon Association who will be able to give me the owners telephone number and details so he can go home. I remember hearing years ago that missing pigeons were no welcomed back by their breeders as they didn't make it home and not worth any money, I hope this isn't true. I'll be making thorough checks tomorrow before he's allowed to go anywhere. There's loads of crane fly in the garden a the moment, and I really don;t like them. The thought of them getting tangled in my hair arghhhhhh.
I spotted a group of flies resting on a rock this evening. They must be enjoying the heat still radiating from it. Overnight this plant which I think is a Chickweed (update: it's actually Cuckoo flower, Cardamine pratensis) had appeared on the lawn and its massive! The Blue Tit parents are still working full time feeding their babies. I saw this Blue Tit looking rather haggard on the feeder tonight, its amazing how 10 babies all at once can take it out of ya heehehehe

The Big Mow

2010-05-24T20:52:00.003+01:00

Today was the day of the BIG MOW. I love it. It signifies the end of winter and the garden once again looks like a real garden. In particular, the way the wild bit now contrasts with the neat lawn. Not only did we have a Mow but I had a DIG too. We ate my first vegetables from the garden. Some lovely Radishes and they tasted great. They are the long thin ones so are meant to be that shape! The Woodpecker spent ages finishing off some cake today. The people who own the house at the top of the came down today and asked if we own a black and white cat. Obviously it was hasn't hard to guess who they were talking about. Cheeky our Stray has apparently befriended their Llama. So much so that they actually sleep together, with Cheeky snuggled up to the Llama's belly when he lays down for the night. Well that explains where he's been these last few nights.

We have babies

2010-05-23T18:38:00.005+01:00

I walked up to the top of the garden today and noticed the Nest Box had been moved. It is still hanging there on a nail but instead of being horizontal its now an 45 degree angle. Initially I was worried the crows had tried to get in from above but then after watching 2 very busy little Blue Tits zooming in and out constantly, I realised it was likely to be their actions that had done it. So YES we have babies. I watched the Blue Tits too'ing and fro'ing with green grubs for their babies all day. Fascinating to watch. The garden was full of amazing looking bugs today, the Sunshine must be bringing them all out. I even spotted these Beetles mating in the grass. The Woodpecker was around all day and is making a right mess of the telegraph pole nearby. My Instant Scotch Broth Mix Peas are doing really well. My mum gave me a lovely old book today dating back to 1938. The preface had me in tears where the author described the love people had for birds and why. He said we can't help but admire their courageousness and gave examples of how a mother Linnet would not leave her chicks in a gorse fire, and covered them until she was burnt to death. Gosh I'm filling up again, reading it. The drawings in the book are lovely although a few of the colours are interesting especially on their Robin picture.

Sunshine

2010-05-22T21:27:00.003+01:00

What a hot day, wow. I love days like these. At lunch time I grabbed 20minutes and sat outside on the lawn. 'Cheeky' the Stray cat appeared and wanted to play as usual. With him there I didn't see too many birds but I did catch a glimpse of pair of Collared Doves in the Laylandi? tree next door. They were making a right racket, I wonder if they are planning on nesting in there? I put some corn out on the lawn tonight just to see if they will come down tomorrow. The lawn is so full of flowers with Buttercups (bit early?) , Daisy's and Forget-me-nots everywhere. The garden is having its big MOW Monday. The best mow of the year where you can see the difference between the wildlife bits and the lawn. Almost resembles a mini Golf Course when its done. I spotted the first Cuckoo Spit of the year today. I can even see the little critter inside who's making it.

Back to a Jungle

2010-05-21T21:33:00.005+01:00

I'm back and have loads to tell you. So much so I may have to spread today's photo's over a couple of days. It's mainly plants and flowers that have emerged everywhere in the few days I was away.Some lovely welsh Poppies have appeared in the cracks on the steps and the Dandelions are now seeding. The Goldfinches will be loving them very shortly. In the nest box there seems to have been some mega DIY going on. A large chunk of the front is now missing but the Blue Tits don't seem to mind. Last night we heard the unmistakable sound of a Cockchaffer banging into things. They are great creatures. Sadly in the back garden I found the remains of what I think is a Great Tit. Oh great news, my experiment with the dried Scotch Broth Mix has worked and 4 out of the 6 Peas have germinated. A mole has been busy digging underneath the new steps.

Plants

2010-05-16T03:25:00.005+01:00

We had a new visitor today, a stocky Greenfinch. Its been a while since we've seen any in the garden. I watched a pair of Buzzards and a pair of Seagulls attacking each other today, not sure who as winning. In the garden, plants are now appearing everywhere. The lawn is covered in this beautifully coloured Bugle. At the top of the garden, the very first BlueBell is about to flower. Down on the shaded bank the Herb Robert is already flowering. My mum brought me round a Aquelegia? last week and that has settled in wonderfully. It hasn't even minded that I have forgotten to water him a few times. Its not looking so good for my Inca Tomato plant. I knew I should have cheated and gone for an easy grow 'moneymaker' tomato for my first attempt but I new best. Although this one isn't going to survive I still have two other types holding their own in the front garden. And my Potato plant is looking amazing. I'm expecting a good crop from this one plant alone. I won't be posting any blogs for the next couple of days but I will be back on form by the end of the week.

Bit poorly

2010-05-15T21:23:00.003+01:00

Been a bit poorly today so sadly didn't get the chance to see what was happening out in the garden. I'm sure everything will still be there waiting for me tomorrow, I hope x

13,000 Hits

2010-05-14T21:31:00.005+01:00

Some good news to start with. Firstly I've just had my 13,000 hit on my garden blog, how incredible is that and secondly I'm 99% sure that the male Blue Tit killed yesterday is not the male from the Summer House Nest Box. I was sat at the top of the garden today when a Blue Tit flew past my head and straight into the box and there was a male still sitting on the branch at the same time. So I think that's my nesting pair. Today the garden has been full of Siskins. I counted over 20 at one point. They are so well camouflaged when they eat off the floor. The lane was full of lambs today, playing in the sunshine. The sunshine also made my Standing Stone look impressive in front of the Summer House.