Monday 8th February 2016

Another horrendous day. Heavy rain and gale force wind. Really fed up with this weather now. Few days of it yet it appears.
Spent all day in the alpine house. Second alpine tray almost complete, the rain did in the end stop me working as needed to sort more timber from the stack which is outside.
            Mystery of the fleece is revealed, this morning tufty was spotted taking in to the drey box mouthfuls of fleece like material. Watched for some while to see it is being brought back from two doors away so could be stuffing from a mattress? Not interested in what I found yesterday so is there another pair at play I wonder?
Interesting weeks ahead I dare suggest.

Pictures 1 - 4 - Tufty nest building.
       "           5 - Alpine house project.

Sunday 7th February 2016

An horrendous day. Gale force wind with heavy rain late afternoon and night.
Despite the atrocious weather I still managed to glue more of the plastic bottles and work on the alpine house. Good to be using up timber from my very old timber stack.
Hope to start on the alpine bench tomorrow. Will soon have to research where I can purchase alpine soil/gravel in bulk. Have only seen it in small bags at garden centres. 
           Birds were plentiful today despite the strong winds. Woody spent most of the day about the garden, no sign of the female however. Female sparrowhawk appeared briefly but was chased away by the magpie.
There was a strange happening late this afternoon at the pond area, a large mass of fleece like material and dried leaves appeared. Clearly a nest as was clear from the sleeping quarters. Thinking squirrel, with nest having fallen from a tree? Have set the camera to see if whoever returns overnight.

Picture 1 - Male Great Spotted Woodpecker.
   " 2 & 3 - Mass of fleece like material.               

Saturday 6th February 2016

Wind today was close to the 1987 gales. Thankfully no garden damage this time and trees are still vertical. Heavy rain late this afternoon/evening.
Glued another batch of igloo bottles, almost enough now to create the base/foundation. Will have to be a decent day to do this, certainly no wind.
Also constructed the base table that will take the weight of the alpine tray. Hopefully will construct the tray tomorrow.
             Despite the strong winds there were more birds about today than have seen for a few days now. Male woody must have neck ache tonight, spent most of the day hammering at the robinia tree.
Tufty was amusing dragging in long sticks to the drey house. Good day for sticks as the wind brought loads down.

Picture 1 - Starting to glue the plastic bottles into pairs.
     "     2 - Alpine House project coming along as planned.
  " 3 & 4 - Tufty dragging sticks into the drey.

Friday 5th February 2016

Still very mild but lacked any sun today. Became windy with showers by late afternoon.
Day spent on my projects. Glued a load more milk bottles for the igloo. Using up a lot of glue this project.
Made a start on the framework for the alpine bottle wall. Lesson learnt, should have done this before laying the bottles. All looks a bit of a mess now, know what my job will be tomorrow.
           Surprise visit by my cousin and wife this afternoon, good to see them and catch up with news. Thankfully the Leaping Frog was open, would have been rude not to stop for a drink.
            Another day of very few birds about, can't blame me today as most of the day I was in the alpine house. Not even any images on the trail cameras.
Photographs tomorrow of the igloo and bottle wall.

Thursday 4th February 2016

Very mild, sunny, just a perfect Spring day.
Coffee with my old mates at Lavers this morning, good to catch up. Was over for some special glue that is waterproof and weatherproof for my igloo project. Thought had better make a start as bottles piling up now. Managed to stick 6 this afternoon. Will try and do this amount each day now. Next stage will be laying them in the way you would bricks but without the cement bonding.
Bottle wall also taking shape, 25% layed so far with plants as previously explained. Require loads more bottles before I can make another start.
                  Another day with little sign of birds, wonder if me working in the garden today had something to do with it?
First of the aconites were in flower today and also a dandelion.
Picture 1 - Aconites in flower today.
      "     2 - First of the dandelions out today.
      "     3 - Alpine bottle wall.
      "     4 - Igloo material piling up.
      "     5 - Six igloo blocks glued in pairs.

Wednesday 3rd February 2016

Another cracking day. Bit chilly with fair amount of sun.
An ideal day for a walk beside the Thames. Walked over the new pedestrian bridge to View Island over to the lock then some time talking with the builders on the Kings Meadow Baths project. Looking a little different from my last visit back in September. My goodness what an amazing job of the roof. All tiles handmade as original, so good to see this iconic building being fully restored.
              Arrived home early afternoon to garden mayhem. Could not work out the noise at first but soon realised it was a male sparrowhawk being attacked by a crow. Arrived home to see them both on the lawn scrapping. Sadly unable to secure a photograph although the trail camera snapped the spawk resting on the rope balustrade. Spawk in no time was then chased away by a magpie.
Never seen this behaviour before, it was so aggressive.
Spawk returned in the time it took me to make a cuppa, managed a photograph this time round.

Tuesday 2nd February 2016

Cracking day today. Sun, mild, dry and only a breeze. Nice.
Spot of gardening this morning, pruning mostly and on the book project this afternoon.
Very few birds about today. Have only filled the feeders once today. Jays and the woodpeckers were busy as were the goldfinches but not much else. Even tufty was absent today.
Snowdrops, crocus and irises looking splendid today in the morning sun. Only the odd one or two daffodils out however where everyone else appears to have them out, as my neighbour does. Her border is full of them, lovely show of yellow.
Have given up finding what takes the hedgehog food, bowls disappear each night but the camera fails to operate. May sit out myself one night.
Do have a camera set in the greenhouse tonight as a mouse has started filling a new propagator with sunflower seeds. Must be a mouse, can't believe a rat would be so neat (see photograph).
Picture 1 - Cardboard sleeve pulled back to expose the departments being filled with seed.
      "     2 - Male GSW on peanut feeder.
      "     3 - Mouse has now blocked my view into its habitat.
      "     4 - Group of snowdrops.
      "     5 - Dwarf irises close to pond almost over now. A good month ahead of normal showing.
      "     6 - Group of crocus.
      "     7 - Just a nice shot of spring flowers.