Mild but a very overcast day, at least dry.
This morning I tried to make sense on how to tidy and mark all the camera cables. Think I've got it, job for tomorrow.
Birds all loved up now, Pigeons and Magpies the latest to show signs of togetherness. Magpies in fact started nest building.
This afternoon it was time to collect our pottery master pieces from Leaping Frog Ceramics with Leilani and Celie. Well chuffed with end result.
Pictures 1 & 2 - The Girls with the pottery pieces.
" 3 - Loved up Magpies.
" 4 - Roosting Starling.
A glorious day. After an overnight frost the day turned out mild and sunny most of the day. Temp' reached 14c at mid-day.
Day spent on the camera monitoring system. Pond camera back in action, changed over the power plug and camera burst into life. Handykam have agreed to send replacement plugs. Still a bit strange this happened on two occasions?
Monitors now in action connected by 15 cameras. Have facility for just one more. Cameras in a variety of areas to cover bird boxes, hedgehog boxes, mice homes and a wandering camera.
A days job now to tidy all the wiring and marking accordingly.
Blue Tit, Starlings and Mice are all in action at the moment. Hopefully now I have cameras in all the nest boxes I will see more action this season?
Really pleased to see a Red Admiral sunbathing this morning, a Painted Lady last week, what next?
Picture 1 - Tufty enjoying a monkey nut.
" 2 - Mouse out for evening feed.
" 3 - Pair of Starlings roosting.
" 4 - Red Admiral.
" 5 - Eight screen monitor in the hide.
" 6 - The monitors in the observatory.
Miserable day, dull all day with showers during this morning.
Spent this morning in town choosing clothes for the impending trip to the Faroe Island. Will have to be prepared for all weathers on this trip as at this time of year it could still be pretty cold.
Good to see Lulu and Clive tonight in the Leaping Frog. Clive had a look at the pond camera, sadly as with me, no joy. He did suggest swapping over the power plugs with one I know that works. Job for tomorrow.
A good day, mild with lots of sunny periods with temp' reaching 12c this afternoon.
Not much doing today as Morrisons shop day and Richard & Anne called in this afternoon for a catch up and bringing me with loads of interesting Bird and Wildlife books they no longer required. Nice one Anne.
Brilliant garden bird news this afternoon from the cam nerve center!
Late this afternoon a pair of Blue Tits appeared in the nest box that was used last year. Managed a photograph of one of them. Still getting over this excitement and a pair of Starlings appeared in the nest box as used last year. There clearly was some mating going on over a period of ten minutes which also included picking up twigs in some kind of mating ritual?
Brilliant to watch, what an afternoon.
Picture 1 - Spawk in the Silver Birch Tree this morning.
" 2 - Blue Tit in nest box.
" 3 - Roosting Starling.
" 4 - Pair of Starlings.
" 5 & 6 - Starlings mating ritual?
Much improved weather today. Sunny, mild and a little breezy.
Day spent emptying another compost bin. All done now with compost now spread over the Roses bed, Wallflower and Wildflower beds. Nothing like home made compost. Also cut back the Leycesteria cutting the stems into 150mm lengths ready for another bug hotel.
Spawk very amusing today flying between the bird feeder and the bushnell camera. Despite numerous efforts there was nothing for him to eat today.
The pregnant fish I reported last week I think was actually a sick fish. At the moment it is managing to swim upside down but is so bloated. Is a common condition apparently.
Picture 1 - Roosting Starling.
" 2 - Spawk on the peanut feeder.
" 3 - Spawk on the bushnell camera.
" 4 - Upsidown Fish.
" 5 - Good display of Crocus.
Right mix of weather. Breezy, sunny, overcast, showers and chilly.
Not a good day and certainly not a happy chappy - pond camera has once again let me down. Supplier lost for words. At the moment not sure how this will be resolved.
A cold, wet, windy miserable day.
During some dry spells during this morning I made a start on emptying the compost heap on to the rose border. Managed to finish the job this afternoon, a little wet but at least job done.
Good to see the mouse and starling appearing this afternoon. As I write this blog at 6pm the starling is still there so roosting for the night I think?
Picture 1 - Still lots of hail about first thing. Soon cleared once the rain started.
" 2 - Camellia flower covered in hail.
" 3 - Mouse enjoying afternoon snack.
" 4 - Starling sheltering from the rain or roosting?
Mild and sunny most of the day. At 3.30pm the sky darkened so much you would have thought it was night time. What happened next was simply awesome. Hail like I have never seen before. Have experienced larger hail stones but this was the amount making it look like a layer of snow. Even more surprising was how local this storm was. None in Bracknell or Woodley and none just a stones throw away at Morrisons. Strange.
Day spent fixing up a further three nest boxes and connecting cameras to the hide monitor. For some reason the critter cam has stopped working so unable to keep track on the mouse for a while. The pond camera is working and giving me great results. Will post results when there is something more interesting than fish to show.
Sitting enjoying a cuppa this afternoon was most surprised to see a Red Kite land on the leilandi tree.Was there for a few minutes but not long enough to obtain a decent photograph.
Enjoyed a Chinese takeaway and a few pints of home made beer tonight with Neil and Sarah.
Picture 1 - Red Kite in the leilandi tree.
" 2 - 6 - Back garden during hail storm.
A glorious winter day. Dry, mild with long sunny periods. Ideal weather conditions for walking.
Day spent at the villages of Boxford and Welford. Enjoying a good walk through the Snowdrop Beech Woods at Welford Park. Another brilliant display this year. What could be better than a good meal and a pint at the Bell at Boxford after such a wonderful walk. The Bell was one of my Fathers favourite pubs when I used to have my days out with him - www.bellatboxford.com
Picture 1 - Proof my underwater camera is working, spot the Fish!
" 2 - 8 - Welford Park Snowdrop Woods.
What an awful day. Wet all day. Right miserable.
Despite the rain I connected the underwater camera for use in the pond. Cables well hidden so I hope camera does not give me grief, will not fancy hunting for the cables.
Connected and working to the Tree Hide monitor. Can clearly see a few well pregnant fish in the dustbin where they spend the cold winter months.
This project took me all day so another day not knowing what was going on in the garden. The trail cameras just picked out the pigeons and Blackbirds and a Fox last night.
Picture of me testing the pond camera indoors before venturing outside.
A cracking day, mild and sunny all day.
Good day out with Leilani and Celie creating pottery at Leaping Frog Ceramics. I of course chose a female frog! Celie a honey pot and Lans a heart dish. We have to wait until the end of the month before we can collect after the firing process.
Bought my Easter egg today, a Marmite egg. Lovely.
Not being home today not sure what went on in the garden, hopefully there will be some interesting images on the trail cameras.
Picture 1 - Leilani and Celie painting their respective pottery.
" 2 - Me admiring my lady frog.
" 3 - Marmite Easter egg.
A cracking day, almost summer like. Sun all day with temp' reaching 11c at mid-day. Enjoyed a dawn walk with my old walking partner on the Ridgeway. With a hard overnight frost, a cracking sunrise and an array of wildlife what more could you wish for?
Spent rest of the day cleaning out all the nest boxes and replacing/re-positioning cameras as required. Come on Spring.
Crocus looked magnificent in todays sun, soon will be the turn of the snowdrops.
Pictures 1 - 3 - On the Ridgeway.
" 4 - First day of this year I have actually sat outside.
" 5 - Crocus.
" 6 - Nest boxes all spring cleaned.
