Thursday 29th January 2015

Another mixed bag of weather. Mild and sunny this morning. Cold with thunder, lightening, sleet & snow.
A lazy day sitting, reading and playing with my new trail camera. Camera set and fixed on the Silver Birch tree hoping to obtain picts' of the Spawk and Fox.
Parakeet spent most of the day with us again, think he now intends to settle in this garden?
Picture 1 - Parakeet.
      "     2 - Blackbird in the sleet.
  "   3 - 5 - Back garden in the sleet/snow (even this is more than we experienced last year).

Wednesday 28th January 2015

A mixed weather day today, showers, gusty, sun, mild, overcast and blue sky. Max' temp' at 11am was 11c, lowest at 4pm 7c.
Brilliant morning with Spawk. Appeared to wave at me at breakfast?
Busy day with all the usual birds about, no sign of the Parakeet however.
Starling appeared again to roost at 4pm and Mouse appeared at 5pm.
               Started preparing hall wall ready for painting before re-hanging the photographs.
Picture 1 - Morning Pump.
      "     2 - Now for some breakfast.
      "     3 - Magpie feeding from the peanut feeder.
      "     4 - Blackbird feeding from a Bramley.
      "     5 - Mouse in mouse house.

Tuesday 27th January 2015.

A very mild, sunny winters day. Temp' reaching a high this afternoon of 11c.
Most of the day spent with Colin and Janet. Another lesson on Picasa . All windows photographs now backed up and only Picasa will be used now. Think I have at last mastered my instructions, thanks for your patience Colin.
Enjoyed a pie and pint at the Cunning Man after such an exhaustive lesson!!
These photographs were taken early this morning while enjoying breakfast.
Picture 1 - Wildlife photograph gallery in the Observatory now completed.
       "    2 - Jay.
       "    3 - Male Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Monday 26th January 2015

Very mild day, overcast most of the day. A cracking sunset however.
                 Day spent working in the hallway/wc. All photographs removed (family gallery) so walls can be prepared for re-painting. 
Parakeet spent most of the day in the garden, has now found the feeder nearest my chair so good for photographs.
Sparrowhawk also appeared, without a hit again. Does not appear to be interested in the Parakeet.

Sunday 25th January 2015

A mild winters day with a little sun during the morning. Max temp' 9c mid afternoon.
Woke up to find the kitchen hot tap was also not working. Very strange but hay ho let's see if I can sort out. With water turned off the taps were taken apart and new washers fitted. Were not the correct size but good enough to give us water. B&Q tomorrow for the correct size. 
This afternoon spent an hour on the annual RSPB bird count and finishing off the observatory gallery.
The bird count was aborted after thirty minutes as the Sparrowhawk appeared and stayed for twenty minutes.
The Parakeet was about this afternoon and has now found the peanut feeder..
                 Looking forward to haggis tonight with a wee drop of whisky.

Saturday 24th January 2015

A beautiful sunny winters day.
Most of the day spent with Nigel & Lyn, were happy to risk chest infection being passed on. A great spread Lyn, thank you.
            Problem with hot water in the bathroom. Hot tap not working. Reckon washer has broken up. Insured so if not able to deal with myself will be calling out Thames Water.

Friday 23rd January 2015

Hardest frost of the winter so far last night. Temp' at 8am (on waking up) was at -5. With a strong sun it was not long before the frost had all but disappeared. The day was so good with sun most of the day. Rain forecast tomorrow however.
                Day spent working on the stairway  gallery of photographs captured on our many visits to interesting places. Still space on the landing to expand.
Picture 1 - Frozen fat sticks.
  "    2 - 5 - Frozen images following last nights frost.
  "    6 - 8 - Stairway gallery.
  "         9 - Red Kite.

Thursday 22nd January 2015

Cold, overcast day with temp' not much above freezing all day.
Lazy day literally spent behind my tripod trying to capture a photograph of a Kite which appears so low in the garden when mobbed by the Gulls. Sadly no photograph.
That aside there was an amazing situation this morning concerning the Sparrowhawk, a Magpie, a couple of Starlings and a Squirrel. Had to be seen to be believed. Just as the Sparrowhawk was about to snatch a Starling a Magpie appeared followed by a chasing Squirrel. The Starling escaped but the Squirrel and the Hawk had a stand off for some ten minutes.
               Attended a Friends of Fobney meeting tonight, not a good meeting. Meeting commenced with the announcement that the Man in charge of Fobney on behalf of the Council is moving on due to council cutbacks. With glowing reports from various agencies during 2014 this announcement could not have come at a worse time. At the end of the evening it was disappointing to leave not knowing Fobney's future.
Picture 1 - Stand off with Squirrel and Sparrowhawk.
      "     2 - Sparrowhawk and Starling.
      "     3 - Starling trying out new fat stick feeder.
      "     4 - Posing Jay.

Wednesday 21st January 2015

Dull, chilly and overcast day. Temp' reaching a high of 5c this afternoon.
Not much doing today. Weekly Morrisons shop this morning and an unexpected visitor this afternoon meant tea in front of the fire,
                 Good selection of birds today, Jay returned but appeared to be on its own. Also seen was the male Great Spotted, Parakeet and all the usual. Captured some fun photographs from the Bushnell camera focused on the monkey nut feeder.
The Parakeet was stripping bark from the Bean tree and chewing it, this could be a worry.
                  Delivery from Handikam today of my replacement underwater camera so look forward to getting this connected again.
Picture 1 - Squirrel eating a monkey nut.
      "     2 - Parakeet.
      "     3 - Mouse in critter cam.
  "   4 - 8 - Bushnell shots focused on the monkey nut feeder.

Tuesday 20th January 2015

After a very hard overnight frost with the temp'' showing -5 at 7am. The rest of the day was certainly cold reaching a high of 7c in the afternoon sun.
In town this morning for more picture frames so I can complete the stairway photograph gallery.
Afternoon spent in workshop framing the remaining photographs.
                   Lots of birdlife today, busy feeding most of the day. Interesting however not to see the Jay, Squirrel made the most of this and took the majority of the monkey nuts.
I bought a new feeder today to hold fat sticks and within ten minutes two Long Tailed Tits arrived. Brilliant.
Pictures 1 - 3 - Frosty back garden.
      "            4 - Fattest Pigeon I have ever seen.
      "            5 - Robin on a frosty lawn.
      "            6 - Long Tailed Tit on fat stick feeder.

Monday 19th January 2015

A cracking day. Cold and sunny all day with temp' only reaching a high of 5c at mid day.
A day spent creating another photograph gallery (stairs and landing). This gallery will show photographs of places visited. Hope to finish tomorrow.
                    Excitement of the day was seeing a Kite on the lawn pursued by four Magpies. The trail camera was set to capture Sparrowhawk picts', sadly not in line of vision for the Kite.
Good to see both male/female Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the peanut feeder.
Also seen was the Mouse in critter cam for a second night running. This could be good for the future now.
Picture 1 - Male GSW.
      "     2 - Female GSW.
      "     3 - Mouse in critter cam.

Sunday 18th January 2015

Another good winters day. Sunny, cold and dry.
Morning at Henry Street stocking up on coal, supposed to be a cold week?
               Very pleased to see a Mouse enter the critter home which had been occupied by a Rat for the last few months. Not seen the Rat since Christmas so hopefully now the Mouse has move in?
               A very entertaining lunchtime with the Sparrowhawk and Parakeet very suspicious of one another. Despite many attempts the Sparrowhawk did not achieve a hit.
Despite the cold I enjoyed an afternoon gardening. Nothing much, just trimming away last years growth on the Hellebores. 
Pictures 1 & 2 - Mouse in critter cam.
       "             3 - Dozens of Goldfinches in the Silver Birch tree.
       "             4 - Parakeet in the Robinia tree.
       "             5 - Male Sparrowhawk (on one leg).