Very warm and sunny.
Trimmed the bay tree today. What a lovely smell this gives off when trimming. All shredded and spread on the spring bulb border. Also trimmed the ivy hedge today leaving as many flowers as possible for the bees that are still about. The berries of course will then be a good food source for the birds later in the Autumn.
The pair of foxes and the one hedgehog were out again last night. Lots of moths in the trap but nothing new, all repeats!
Very warm and sunny, summer has definitely returned.
Day spent on the annual Autumn trimming of shrubs. The viburnum and burbris now looking good for a trim, all shreddings spread on the borders. Birds will love this layer of fresh shreddings to scratch about in.
Another night of just the one hedgehog out, not sure what is happening here? The young one not seen for three weeks now and one of the adults missing for over a week.
Two foxes now regularly out each night, clearly a pair. No animosity when they are together.
Very warm and sunny. Summer has returned?
Was the Berkshire Asbestos Support Group monthly meet today so again not much to report from the garden.
Have a few days now clear of events so means a few days catching up with the garden and checking of SD cards for any evening wildlife activity.
Photographs then hopefully tomorrow.
Warm and sunny day.
Basically catching up with sleep and sorting the house out after the enjoyable few days with family staying.
Must get back to seeing what wildlife we have now, hopefully still the hedgehogs.
Sorting out the final stage of security must now take priority so I can start working on replacing the camera system.
I know in my mind what I want to achieve, need to see if it is in fact achievable. I will of course blog on progress but give me time!
Mild and overcast today, contrast to yesterday.
Enjoyed a morning walk to Southcote with the Boys this morning. I think every dog walker and cyclist were out this morning, probably first time out after yesterdays terrible weather?
Tan, Pete and Will left this afternoon for the long drive back home. Has been a superb week with them, look forward now to November when we meet again, us there.
One word - wet. What did we do to deserve this.
Tradition is we visit the Swallowfield Show each year on the Sunday. Not once have we experienced this show in the wet, has always been warm or hot. Did we suffer this year or what. Being so wet also made us feel very cold. Were we really sitting outside enjoying afternoon tea yesterday?
Despite all of this we did enjoy the show which we had mainly to ourselves!
Came home mid afternoon, dried out, then enjoyed an evening meal at the New Inn.
All photographs taken at the show.
A very warm and sunny day.
Breakfast this morning the parakeet arrived on the peanut feeder, our visitors had never seen one before so were rather excited or what!
Day spent with Lulu, visitors had not seen the Toll House before so was good we could sit outside for afternoon tea enjoying the woodland wildlife.
Before tea we enjoyed a dinner at a local pub.
A good day out.
Very warm and sunny.
Tan arrived this afternoon making up the family threesome. A good weekend ahead beckons.
Warm but another overcast day.
A day getting used to the Canon camera. Going to enjoy using it, first signs are looking good.
Some good trail camera images last night, all self explanatory.
Very warm but sadly very overcast much of the day.
Under orders to clear up the house ready for the visitors! I find it difficult to do clearing up.
Peter and Will arrived late evening but not so late to enjoy a welcome pint.
Images 1 & 2 - This beauty was predated by the spider in the conservatory.
" 3 - The parakeet on the peanut feeder.
Hot and sunny.
A day pottering. Caught up with some watering and swept up a few leaves. Like Autumn here with all the leaves falling, trees really are suffering now.
Strange sighting over the pond today. Hundreds of knats flying over the pond suddenly dropped to the pond surrounding a leaf in the pond. Within twenty minutes they had all disappeared again. Managed a reasonable photograph.
Trail camera picked up the pair of hedgehogs and the one fox again. No sign of the young hedgehog.
Very warm and sunny.
Cousins get together today, met at the Waterfront Cafe at Benson. A stunning day for all things boats and river. Was far more interested in the river than talking!
It was another good get together, can't believe the next meet will be at Christmas and the last one this year. How the year has passed us by.
A few moths in the trap last night, the pair of hedgehogs out together but just the one fox and no sighting of the baby hedgehog.
Warm and sunny all day and into the evening.
Today was all about catching up on sleep and reflecting on the last two days.
Sifted through thousands of images from the two trail cameras. Sadly the young hedgehog not been seen now for almost a week, a little concerning. The adults were about together as was a pair of foxes.
A couple of days now before we welcome Lorna's Yorkshire family, staying with us for a week.
Warm and sunny most of the day, slightly overcast early morning.
Up early and at the Rutland Osprey Centre by 8.30am. Good time to visit as the hide was mostly mine except for a ranger. I was privileged to see very clearly both the male and female Ospreys. I stayed for over an hour watching these amazingly beautiful birds. The young had not been seen for a few day so that was a little disappointing, it was also a puzzle to the rangers monitoring these birds as to where they could be.
Tonight on my twitter feed @rutlandospreys tweeted the young had returned at 5pm tonight. My luck!
Arrived home this afternoon pretty tired but well worth it as once again it was one stonking good Birdfair. Have already booked my room for next year.
Very warm and sunny.
What a day at the Birdfair. Weather just perfect for such an event. Arrived at 8.30am and left at 5.15pm, was rather tired but more than happy with the day. Attended two lectures, butterfly conservation and garden bird feeding. Both very interesting particularly the feeding of garden birds lecture by the BTO. A balanced discussion followed, clearly statistically it is beneficial to feed garden birds.
Made a few purchases from a pair of trousers to a magazine subscription. Oh, not forgetting a new camera!
Tomorrow I will be at the Osprey Centre in Rutland, been another successful breeding year.
You will clearly notice me writing camera related notes in the coming weeks as I get used to using this new camera. For those interested it is a Cannon SX60.
Very wet morning. Very warm and sunny afternoon.
Relaxing morning packing case and and working out my strategy for tomorrow at the Birdfair.
Arrived at The Crown, Uppingham at 5pm. Settled now with a pint brewed locally, now shall it be steak tonight?
Tomorrow will be the day spent at the Birdfair then on Saturday the morning at the Osprey Centre, have been following and visiting the Rutland Water Osprey Centre for some years now.
A very warm and sunny day.
Winding down now ready for the few days away at the Birdfair. Have sorted through the list of hundreds of exhibitors and marked out ones I am interesting in visiting. Not sure what my purchase will be this year, a pop up hide I think?
Another day of very little wildlife activity. Birds disappeared again, only the one fox and hedgehog out last night. What's going on?
Image 1 - A moth from the trap last night.
" 2 - Speckled wood butterfly on an ivy leaf.
" 3 - A lonesome fox.
" 4 - Spike at the automatic feeder.
" 5 - Spike at the water dish.
" 6 - Foxy wary of a cat close by.
