Friday 30th November 2018

Mild and mostly sunny day. Made the most of it as rest of weekend looking wet.
Have now finished project willow and sycamore tree. Have a mountain of branches and twigs to shred now. Probably a New Year job now.
After storm Diana the front once again became covered in leaves. All shredded this afternoon and spread on a wood stack.
                                                 Power now restored to the trail cameras so made all the necessary adjustments like date/time. Hopefully some images tonight. I do have one camera battery operated which confirmed hedgehogs, mice and foxes out in the garden during storm Diana.
Completely unexpected, a stunning moth appeared on the front door this morning, not sure how it survived the storm?
Fungi continues to show up surprises. Some stunning specimens this season. 

Thursday 29th November 2018

Mild but again gale force wind. Rain subsided. Fed up with Storm Diana now.
Nothing to report today as out with John and Hilly. 
Can confirm no camera images due to electric outage. Will rectify this tomorrow.

Wednesday 28th November 2018

Mild but Gale force wind and rain. Storm Diana apparently.
Nothing to report today due to the monthly Asbestos Support Group meeting and Christmas dinner. 
Arrived home to find the outdoor electrics tripped so cameras will not be working. 

Tuesday 27th November 2018

A miserable day. Rain most of the day.
Christmas shopping today so relying on trail camera images for activity over last two days.
The fox pair still loved up. Two hedgehogs still out each night. Two mice were spotted close to a hedgehog feeding dish.
A starling and great tit still roosting and mouse activity in a wood pile.

Monday 26th November 2018

Cold and sunny. Made the most of today as rest of the week it has been forecast for rain and strong winds.
A day out today with Janet and Colin so nothing to report today on garden wildlife.

Sunday 25th November 2018

Mild but sadly an overcast day.
Day working on the willow tree. A few more branches cut, should finish the job in one more day then it will be a case of shredding after I have taken out what I require for the willow fence.
Nothing else to report due to working in the arboretum today!

Saturday 24th November 2018

Mild but spoilt by showers.
Despite the showers I did manage to cut a few more branches from the willow tree. This is a big job I have decided, good job I have a head for heights. Due to the height I am working at I am now chaining the ladder to the trunk rather than rely on rope. Another two days work I think.
               The trail cameras confirmed another night of activity by the foxes, hedgehogs and mice. Monitors also confirmed a mouse in he wood pile and a great tit and starling roosting.
Jay very busy in the garden, no monkey nuts placed out today but was happy to feed on left over hedgehog food. Two magpies are regular visitors now, sharing the fat sticks with three squirrels.
A first for my garden wildlife today, a grey wagtail. Could not believe this moment, was interested in the old figs as was the blackcap a few days ago.

Friday 23rd November 2018

Warmer today but mostly overcast.
Nothing to report today as at the hospital. After almost three months living in a silent world I am tonight getting used to everything around me being so loud. It has been some journey but hopefully can move on and enjoy sounds again.

Thursday 22nd November 2018

Cold and overcast.
Spent the day taking on the willow tree. It appears a whole lot bigger from the top of a ladder.
Branches are huge, made good progress but do question myself whether I should be carrying out this type of work at my age ?
So far no damage caused to neighbors fences or sheds but does get more difficult now. The last few branches to tackle are high up on the tree. Will have to expand the ladder to the maximum.
I will certainly have enough willow stems to create another fence with logs to create another log pile.
   
Due to my working at the bottom end of the garden I find not get a chance to wildlife watch. However, on closing up on a misty, cold and overcast evening I took one last look outside and WOW. A female blackcap feeding from the fig tree. Never seen one this early, normally January-March. Well pleased.

Wednesday 21st November 2018

Cold, hard frost last night.
A restful day checking out all the camera SD cards. Some surprises. At least two hedgehogs still out each night and feeding. Could possibly be three hedgehogs. The fox pair also out each night.
A mouse is a regular now at night scratching around one of the hedgehog food dishes.
Have a great tit and starling roosting each night, a mouse is still using one of the hidden mouse homes hidden in a wood pile.
Now have three squirrels chasing around the garden. Still taking in walnuts and acorns into the drey. 

Tuesday 20th November 2018

Cold and mostly wet today. Temperature high today of 4c, what a drop, has winter arrived?
Rain started at 11.30am so was able to make a start on the cutting back of the willow tree. Head height branches first, will get difficult now. Going to be a few more wood piles by the time I have finished.
                        The jay and female great spotted woodpecker were busy today, have started placing out monkey nuts again.
Tufty spent the day in and out of one of the drey boxes taking in walnuts and acorns. Clearly storing ready for the winter months ahead. The trail camera also showed Tufty with a mouthful of leaves, interesting.

Monday 19th November 2018.

Blimey, what happened today after such a beautiful day yesterday. Today overcast, cold and wet tonight.
With doctors appointments today for flu and shingle inoculation and an evening out any time left was spent indoors checking out all the SD cards from the trail cameras. Further confirmation the foxes and hedgehogs are out still each night, good to see the hedgehogs still feeding. A mouse was also recorded by one of the food dishes.

Despite the awful weather this afternoon/evening we enjoyed an afternoon in Windsor before an evening at the theatre for the ABBA at Christmas production by a Swedish tribute band.

Sunday 18th November 2018.

A beautiful day. Warm and sunny all day. Temperature reached 15c this afternoon.
Was just good to be out in the garden today. Ten sacks of shredded leaves now spread on the garden, four sacks left now to rot down during the next year.
Just the oak tree to shed its leaves now, going to be a while I think. My next project before Christmas is the cutting down of the willow tree which has grown worryingly large, overhanging two gardens. Need to deal with while I can still climb a ladder. It is a daunting task and may well still have to contact an arborist. We'll see.
               Lots of fungi appeared overnight, my wood piles are certainly doing a good job. Signs of mammals using at least two piles, not forgetting the beetles and other insects that have taken up residence.
Good to see the hedgehogs back feeding again. Three out last night, not moving far now, have certainly slowed down.
Female great spotted woodpecker appeared this afternoon as did a jay. Generally the birds are returning now after a lull of a few weeks.
A most stunning sunset tonight to finish a glorious day.

Saturday 17th November 2018

Very mild and sunny.
Spent the whole day on leaf clearing and mowing the back lawn. Only the oak tree leaves left now. Have 12 sacks of shredded leaves to scatter now, a job for tomorrow. Will keep some to rot within the sacks to use as mulch next year.
Not checked the trail cameras for a couple of days, will catch up on wildlife tomorrow.

Friday 16th November 2018

Very mild and sunny, not going to like it when the change does come.
Spent all morning at the Community Centre, an open morning for the chance to have your history of Whitley recorded for a Whitley Museum Project. A very interesting morning.
             This afternoon I managed to shred another two large sacks of leaves. Very few leaves to fall now from the acer tree, should finish this weekend. Oak tree still has to shed its leaves.

Thursday 15th November 2018

Warm and sunny all day.
Day spent with Margaret and Peter, enjoyed lunch and a pint at the Pack Horse.
Not sure about wildlife in the garden today. The trail camera last night recorded an adult and young hedgehog and the one fox in the garden. Very little food eaten.

Wednesday 14th November 2018

Very warm and sunny once again, like it.
Another day shredding leaves from the front garden. Two full sacks today. Going to be great mulching material.
Not much to report today as working in the front garden. No sign of the hedgehogs last night and just the one fox.
A little puzzled as the weather is so warm I would have thought the hedgehogs would still be about. The young one in particular needs to continue eating to survive the winter. 
The one fox is also not eating, clearly obtaining food elsewhere. He is still enjoying his egg of a night however.

Tuesday 13th November 2018

Very warm and sunny all day.
This crazy weather has confused the spring bulbs. Today the first of the snowdrops appeared.
A full day in the garden sweeping up leaves, today in the back garden sweeping up bean tree and robinia leaves. 
                                A better night for food being eaten. All food was eaten last night by both the one fox and the two hedgehogs. Clearly I still need to place food out each night.
Good to see a jay returning to the garden this morning. A pair of magpies and a parakeet also visited today. Feeding on the monkey nuts I placed out this morning, the first time since the Spring.

Image 1 - Young hedgehog.
     "    2 - Adult hedgehog.
     "    3 - A pigeon and Tufty with a walnut.
     "    4 - The evening pose by Foxy.
 " 5 & 6 - An adult hedgehog on the Hogtel decking.
 "        7 - An alert Foxy.
 "        8 - A jay in the rays of the morning sun.
 "        9 - Parakeet.
 "       10 - Magpie.
 "       11 - Snowdrop.

Monday 12th November 2018

Warm and mostly sunny, did become rather overcast this afternoon.
This morning taken up with a visit to Hobbycrafr, Lorna making Christmas cards of her paintings.
                This afternoon I filled another sack of shredded leaves. The acer and oak tree are the last of the trees to lose their leaves. This could be taking me right up to Christmas to clear.
Managed some 'up tree' images today, the oak tree in particular looked superb in this mornings sun. 
                  With virtually no food eaten again last night I was concerned the foxes had moved on and the hedgehogs, although not concerning had perhaps hibernated. Thankfully the SD cards proved my assumptions wrong. 
One fox did appear but made no attempt to eat and a young and adult hedgehog also appeared and again just sniffed at the food. The young hedgehog really should still be eating.

Sunday 11th November 2018

Very mild and sunny most of the day. What a contrast to yesterday.
Despite the most lovely of winter days I spent it indoors.
Christmas cards designed and ordered. First time at trying this, will look good if it works. So expensive so it means I can't afford stamps now to send any!
                 Months ago I bought a sphere then forgot where I had placed it at home. After much searching I found it this afternoon so spent a while outside this afternoon experimenting. First attempt, very promising. Sun did affect some images but practice will make for improved images in the future, hopefully. 

Saturday 10th November 2018

Very mild but sadly also very wet. Rain most of the day returned again tonight. Hedgehog food will be a little soggy tonight.
Henry Street this morning taking advantage of a winter offer on fuel. All stocked up with coal so bring it on Winter.
                                     Despite the rain I managed another sackful of shredded leaves from the front drive and lawn. Acre tree still looks fully loaded. Certainly many a sackful to go yet.
May well leave some sacks this year to rot within the sack.
                                      A parakeet arrived at breakfast this morning enjoying peanuts, always just the one parakeet, two years running now.
I have always accepted wildlife in the garden as just that, wildlife. It would be so easy to class for instance the foxes as pets as are so regular and have particular interesting habits that you feel they are garden pets. 
This has been brought home to me this week as it could be that after nearly 48 years the foxes have moved on.
The foxes have always lived at a house a couple of doors down where a garden has not been touched certainly in the 48 years living here. 
This week the garden has been completely cleared of all growth and new fencing erected. Today, despite the rain there have been massive fires burning all the cut trees, shrubs, undergrowth etc. Mid afternoon I was in the back garden just looking over at the garden when there was this noisy commotion and within seconds the foxes jumped the wall next door and legged it to the front garden keeping tight to the wall.
It then dawned on me the fire had spooked them from their dens. Is this the lady I see of them, have they now been forced to find another home? 
I actually feel at the moment I have lost 'pets' that have been free to roam and breed in this area for over 50 years.
My trail cameras will confirm of course.
       

Friday 9th November 2018

Mild but mostly overcast with rain tonight.
Another day of shredding leaves. Snowdrop border now covered in the shredded leaves.
Managed to carry out more pruning, some serious pruning required on the Willow Tree. A job for next week when the weather improves.
              Good to see a female great spotted woodpecker on the peanut feeder this morning. Loving the fresh peanuts. Perhaps the Jays will appear now?
Not photographed but a red admiral was in the garden today, surprised as not very sunny.
Decided to clear leaves from the pond this afternoon but put more back than I removed. Leaves so rich with insects including tiny larvae.

Thursday 8th November 2018

Warm and sunny day.
A day in the garden shredding leaves and a touch of Autumn pruning.
                     Created another mouse habitat in a log pile and two more shelters for hedgehogs. Still two adult and one young hedgehog out at night. Not wandering far now, have definitely slowed down. The pair of foxes were seen on the lawn again last night.
Enjoyed another evening at the Reading Lido, tonight with Nigel and Lyn.

Wednesday 7th November 2018

Mild but very wet. Rain all day.
Not a day for working in the garden so time to catch up on blog and checking out SD images. Not so much hedgehog activity now, still about but not moving far from the food stations, definitely slowing down now.
Amazed at the number of fungi that appeared overnight, certainly been a good year for fungi.
Image 1 - Garden looking good bathed in Autumn colours.
     "    2 - Garden not looking so good in the rain.
 "  3 - 6 - Fungi.
 "       7 - Adult and young hedgehog.
 "       8 - Hedgehog family at the feeding station.
 "       9 - Butter wouldn't melt....
 "      10 - Foxy and Spike enjoying time together.
 "      11 - The morning pose.
 "      12 - Pigeon feeding and Tufty with yet another walnut.