Miserable day. Showers on and off all day (19mm rainfall recorded) and very overcast. Still pretty mild however with temp' reaching a high of 15c this afternoon.
Not weather for working outdoors so day in the workshop. Framed two Menu pictures from Rick Stein's restaurant in Padstow. Visited in 2002 and 2014. Now hanging in the kitchen.
The male Great Spotted was particularly busy in the garden today, didn't look as though feeding a family however, just ones self! Not sure how much more of a Woody bashing the Robinia Tree can take. Still takes a delight in pecking away at this one spot every day (see photograph).
Picture 1 - Menu pictures hanging in kitchen.
" 2 - Woody on the fat block.
" 3 - Woody on the Robinia Tree.
Very mild but also very overcast with no sun and 9mm rain recorded, mostly overnight.
A day in the garden. All Sunflower seeds now sown. Competition begins. Fruit cage sorted, weeded, pruned and Strawberry plants planted.
Greenhouse also tidied ready for Tomato plants later in the month. Found a Centipede nest, never seen a nest before. Unable to count how many as scarpered as soon as disturbed, they returned soon after so will leave now un-disturbed.
Gave a hand to the Girls in removing stinging nettles before the final fix tomorrow of the veg patch framework.
Picture 1 - Russian Giant.
" 2 - All of the different Sunflower varieties now sown.
" 3 - 2013 Sunflower seeds ready for the feeders.
" 4 - Male Great Spotted.
" 5 - Scary, a Pigeon and a Dove sharing drinking water.
" 6 - Saving water, Doves sharing a bath.
Overcast but a very mild day with a high of 16c (in Guildford).
Good day spent with Emma, Phil, Callum, Alec and Alistair. Alistair being only four weeks old so our first introduction. Long time since I have experienced a baby gurgling on my shoulder! Loved it.
Helped Callum and Alec sow their Sunflower seeds, Russian Giant. So many in the competition this year, it is going to be a fun summer.
Alec, bless him just loved the C4. Was amused by the seat massager and the leg rest. Think he would have slept in it given half a chance.
Picture 1 - Callum & Alec watering their sunflower seeds.
" 2 - Alec about to drive away the C4!
" 3 - Alec resting after sowing four seeds.
" 4 - Much concentration by Callum on seed sowing.
Smog almost cleared today, was still late afternoon until the sun appeared however. Temp' reached a high of 16c this afternoon.
Seed sowing today. Not growing anywhere as much this year as will be away most of May when watering is essential. Seeds sown are in fact what I saved from last year, Marigold, Bugloss, Pumpkin, Beantree and Splish Splash. Sunflowers tomorrow.
Afternoon slumped in the Observatory Kite watching, not to be however as the Crows took strong objection. Ducking & Diving as they do.
Sparrow spent another few moments looking around the Swift box. Really do not want this especially as I have an empty Sparrow Hotel.
Observation on the Starlings, appears to be four of them. Me thinks two pairs wanting to nest in this particular box hence as much is chucked out as is taken in?
Picture 1 - Alpine border looking good in the afternoon sun. Second season now.
" 2 - Snail on leaf. This snail was so tiny I thought it was a speck of dirt.
" 3 - All loved up.
Touch misty (smog) all day. Very mild, almost warm. Temp' reached a high of 20c this afternoon.
Leilani and Celie are keen to have a vegetable patch this year so today was spent creating a timber surround for the purpose. Job done for me, the hard work begins now for the girls. Digging, composting etc. Breaking up from school today they now have two weeks to create this veg' patch. Good luck girls.
Amazed to see the first of the Bluebells in flower, a month to early. It probably will be mid May before the majority flower?
Jay and Woody were busy in the garden again, wish they would nest here. Starlings still continue to bring in more material. The Blue Tit also busy with more moss and feathers. Has settled down tonight so perhaps ready to start laying.
Picture 1 - Jay.
" 2 - Woody on the bird bath.
" 3 - Bluebells.
" 4 - Veg' patch for the girls.
" 5 & 6 - Snuggled down for the night.
Despite overcast conditions it was a very mild day with temp' reaching a high of 19c this afternoon.
What a surprise this morning. On my early morning walk around the garden I was chuffed to bits to see a dollop of spawn in the larger pond. What a relief, a little late but hopefully we are free of frosts now?
Good to see Barry and the children this afternoon (Barry was my Manager at Lavers), calling to see the Blue Tits and Starlings. When I retired Barry presented me with a sizable Handykam voucher which helped me with my monitor system.
Madness tonight, with a Magpie making determined attempts to enter the Starling box. Prior to the first attempt it chased the two Starlings for a while before they were able to find home and sanctury. It was some while before the Starlings ventured out again. Wonder now if this is the end of the Starlings nesting?
A male Great Spotted and young Jay appeared this afternoon. Good to see the Jay more regularly.
Picture 1 - Spawn.
" 2 - Male Great Spotted.
" 3 - Young Jay.
" 4 & 5 - Magpie mahem.
" 6 - Hannah and Zach exploring the garden via trail cam.
After a very misty morning the day turned out pretty good with a fair amount of sun with temp' reaching a high of 15c this afternoon.
Spent another day working on the monitor cables, all now clearly marked both on the plugs and cables. Can now say, job done. Taken two years!
The Starling box is now so full of material that the camera now only shows a black screen. Both Starlings brought mouth fulls of material again today.
Managed to photograph a Red Kite this afternoon in the back garden, enticed down by a lump of meat. I was in the back bedroom for this shot.
