Friday 30th October 2015

Another dismal day albeit very mild. Heavy overnight rain registering 7.5 mm at 10am.
Good to have Barry and Margaret over for coffee (only just left at 4pm!). Not seen Margaret for over three years, was just like old times today. Plenty of reminiscing hence time going so quickly.
            Not much time for garden wildlife watching today but have noticed food being eaten in two of the hedgehog boxes. Thinking mice at the moment as still no sighting of hogs. will try and connect up a camera in at least one other hog box. Really would be good to know we have at least one hedgehog about?
             Looking forward to tomorrow night and the end of year bbq with the neighbs'. Can't believe we have not enjoyed a meet up this year, where has the time gone.

Thursday 29th October 2015

A pretty miserable day. Showers off and on all day, still very mild however with temp' actually reaching 15c this afternoon.
Despite the damp conditions I did enjoy a walk at a recently opened nature reserve at Shinfield. 
Land is owned and supported by the University of Reading, a large sum of money has been spent on this venture with thousands of trees and hedge plants planted. Pathways created and meadows sown with wild flower seed. These meadows were regularly ploughed so destroying all manner of wildlife and wild flowers. Hopefully, as has at Fobney, wildlife etc will soon re-appear here at Langley Mead.
Was good being here today on ones own, a time to reflect on the fifties when my father worked on this farm that was part of Hall Farm Arborfield. Lived on the farm in the late forties into the fifties before moving into the house Dad built in Langley Common Road.
An interesting day for me.

Wednesday 28th October 2015

A good day, weather just perfect. Mild with temp' reaching 17c this afternoon. Fair amount of sun as well. May it continue for our Dales holiday next week.
Another day of mooching about in the garden after the Morrisons weekly shop was done and dusted.
A little more Autumnal clearing including removing a fair amount of leaves from the pond. Still a fair few larvae close to the top. Fished out five today.
Enjoyed two hours in the hide this afternoon watching two mice through the monitor. I tend to forget it is actually pitch black in this habitat, amazing to watch these tiny creatures play fighting and eating.
Foxy was out again last night, clearly leaving his mark to confuse the local cats?
Have just photographed the roosting birds and a mouse out for its evening snack in another wood stack.
Garden looked stunning this afternoon in the sun.
Picture 1 - Larvae, one of five seen this afternoon.
      "     2 - Just see back ends of two mice in a wood stack.
      "     3 - Starling roosting.
      "     4 - Great Tit roosting.
      "     5 - Mouse in another wood stack.
      "     6 - Foxy by the bird feeder.
      "     7 - Back garden in the afternoon sun.

Tuesday 27th October 2015

A very mild and dry Autumn day. Lacked sun however but not complaining.
A day spent very much in the garden. Swept up leaves and generally mooched and not doing very much. Very relaxing.
The squirrel had emptied the largest of my bug boxes created from last years sunflower stems. All picked up and left in a jumbo garden bag ready to re-make.
Good to see the birds already relaxing tonight in their respective roosting boxes. 4.30 pm on the dot. 
Picture 1 - Mouse enjoying late afternoon snack.
      "     2 - Great Tit roosting.
      "     3 - Starling roosting.

Monday 26th October 2015

A pretty good day again, mild, dry and sunny, just a shame I was out for most of the day.
Car in for the annual service today so by the time had driven to the Wokingham garage and returned most of the day had dissapeared.
Did find time this afternoon to bring into the greenhouse a few plants that require shelter over winter.
Picture 1 - Sunflower stems.
     "      2 - Sunflower stems cut into 150mm lengths.
     "      3 - Sunflower stems drying in the greenhouse.
     "      4 - Foxy attempting to eat a fat ball.

Sunday 25th October 2015

A pretty good day, mild, dry and sunny.
Spent morning repairing bird boxes and cleaning cameras. Can't wait for the Spring with excited anticipation that all boxes will be used next year?
No sign of the culprit nicking the sunflower seeds drying out in the greenhouse. Will keep the camera set as sure it will return.
Great Tit and Starling still roosting each night, arrive at 4.30pm as getting dusk each night. Mice also busy in both habitats so looking pretty good for wildlife watching during the coming winter.
            Enjoyed a great spooky afternoon tea with Phil and Emma and the three boys this afternoon. What a great spread Emma, many thanks, really enjoyed meeting up again.

Saturday 24th October 2015

A wet start to the day travelling to Bristol. Bristol no better, pretty wet and miserable. Very mild however.
With a river trip booked from Bristol Harbour out into the Bristol Channel via the Avonmouth Gorge it is not looking good, but read on.
As if by magic by mid-day the weather changed dramatically giving us blue sky, plenty of sun, ideal to enjoy the beauty of the colourful trees lining the gorge.
The suspension bridge looked magnificent allowing for stunning reflections. Arrived back in the harbour at dusk after what turned out to be in the end a brilliant day out.

Friday 23rd October 2015

Another very mild and dry day.
A brief intro' into my mobile phone saga. Two days before leaving for Scotland my mobile went nuts. No keyboard, a software problem I'm told by Virgin. No time to deal with so agreed to return on return of holiday.
On Tuesday I did just this, fair to Virgin, a good deal was struck. A Microsoft Windows 8 Smartphone upgrade at no extra cost. All set up for me in store for me, brilliant. What could go wrong?
Do you think I could activate this phone once home, no such luck. Would not accept any passwords telling me WiFi was off when in fact showing it was on. I had enough trouble with the desk top, now this. A Grrrrr moment big time.
Today I returned to the store, no problems said Mr. Virgin, I can help you here. Yea right, thankfully it didn't work for him either! Replacement phone all set up again so fingers crossed now. Trouble is I am afraid to use it now... I did say I would be brief on this story!
Rest of the day just enjoying the garden and taking photographs of the Autumnal look.
Photograhs of the back garden taken this afternoon.

Thursday 22nd October 2015

A very mild Autumn day. Not much sun but at least dry.
Lawns cut this morning, don't think this will be the last cut. With weather mild and damp me thinks there will be at least three more cuts.
Rest of the day spent cutting the sunflower stems into 150mm lengths. These will now dry over winter before I hollow out and make into bug houses. Do I really need this many bugs in the garden? Certainly do.
The sunflower seeds are drying out in the greenhouse and have noticed a fair few eaten. Trail camera now set to see who is the culprit. Guessing a mouse as unable to find a large hole into the greenhouse.
              Since the holiday the mice and birds have now returned after the feed re-start. Mice in both habitats and birds roosting in their respective boxes. All good. The trail cameras picked out a good looking fox cub and pinpointed me to the squirrels hideout in a wood stack. I would never had known.
Did a little pond clearing and spotted a fair few dragonfly larvae, again good news but have abandoned a further clearing for a while.
Picture 1 - Starling roosting.
      "     2 - One of three mice in this home.
      "     3 - Great Tit roosting.
      "     4 - Dragonfly larvae.
      "     5 - One of at least two mice in this home.
   "  6 - 8 - Cutting up the sunflower stems.

Friday 9th - Monday 19th October 2015

Selection of photographs from recent Scotland holiday.