Thursday, 2 June 2011

‘Narcissus’ -  He wasn’t there, the weather had turned nasty by now !  Will keep looking for him.

Orange Tip 
Thursday 26th May  -  Blue Tits still on their ‘Feeding Frenzy’ ,  clung tight to the Nut Bag, eating furiously to replenish their strength - swinging in all directions with the strong Wet Wind blustering around their tiny fragile bodies !      



Nuthatch arrived early 7.10 a.m he must have been hungry !  He’s not shown himself for some time now and out of the blue, arrives.  Maybe someone’s garden peanuts had run-out of supplies and knew that we’d have some.
Narcissus wasn’t around first thing but later I saw him swinging on the telegraph wire, wind was so strong that this proved too much for him and he was off !
Friday 27th May  -  Stepped outside to wave our Son off to catch the School Bus and it’s Not Hot !  A very cold windy start to the day. 
Himself had noticed ‘Narcissus’ having a jolly good look-in again !   Later I went upstairs to look for him and  was Winging it on the telegraph wire, moments later flew off to do some gritting,  around our drive-way with a friend.          Link: Orange Tip >  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cnsls
The 'Orange Tip Butterfly' was taken a while ago around our Garden Pond.

10.30 a.m  I get a phone call from Himself, (who had gone early into our woodland ) telling me that the Blue Tit fledglings are taking their first Test Flight and did I want to have a look?  “Well” Yes indeedy !  grabbed everything I would require and no sooner that I’d touched the front door Himself had arrived to pick me up in the car.
 Wasn’t long after arriving that they started to peek out of the Nest Box.   An adult was using the coax/tease method  to try and motivate them out and leaving it a few minutes before returning to the nest and off again.  What a relief for the parents when they do start to leave and what a lovely rest they can have now., until next time!



Peeping !

One of the first fledglings zoomed out so fast that I wasn’t prepared for Speed !  “The last two” -  a warm cosy nest of instant feeding brought by way of eager and what must have been “very tired parents.”  I could see a bright yellow beak appear at the nesting box hole, surveying the layout outside, turning it’s head from side to side as though listening.  I found the experience so exciting!  Our Nature can grow in so many different forms !  





"Just another peep out" 



















And Off  !

















The last Fledgling !





















This one took a little longer to leave 


Blue Tits make Nest in a Cambridgeshire Ashtray >













Almost Out but not quite !


















And WoW !



http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Eurasian_Jay   <  Link to 'Jay'         


The Jay was spotted flying  low  -  the Black Bird was giving off a sound signal, whilst the ‘Jay’ was probably searching for a meal and they are known for taking a fresh young fledgling !  ‘Snowy’ our Cockerel noticed  him too by giving “a one of his noise signals to warn his ladies of any predators”, although he wouldn’t harm a hen but a new born , “yes”.
Now the Male Black bird is mobbing the Jay, “like telling him to move to another territory.”

We’re ready to return home and on putting the Hen’s away find that one has gone missing !  Now ‘Snowy’ only has two ladies and because he spends all of his time on one particular favourite the other has gone wandering off !  Oooo nearly drod in some freshly laid Dog Poo !  this does help to keep the Fox at bay, although on saying that we do have one that walks right in the camp when we’re there !  And now we have two ...







We move over to Saturday 28th May   -  Blue Tits seem to be working faster at feeding, it’s like watching a blur rr . 
Took the boys swimming and decided to have lunch out and be waited upon – haven’t done this for ages.   And it was Sooooo o   Great ! not having to prepare anything or washing up after ! 

Arrived home to peek and listen if the Blue Tit Fledglings were still yearning for food – they had gone without me noticing !  It would have been magical for the Boys to have witnessed such a scene of innocence.  Still, they may return to Nest some more after their long arduous stretch of Feeding.

Sunday 29th May  -  A warm breeze with sunshine first thing but 2.31 p.m delivered,  what  looked to be rain on the way.



The Young Sparrows were soaking up the warm Sunshine !






BANK  HOLIDAY

Monday 30th May  -  Very wet and rainy start, although late morning proved some good Sunshine.
After breakfast I took a peek upstairs to see if ‘Narcissus’ had called for his daily dose of ‘who-knows’!
Slowly I crept towards the bedroom window , no little Bird  but from my peripheral vision caught a glimpse of him sat looking in,  upon the telegraph wire.

Tuesday 31st May  -  A rather brilliant Sunny morning to open one’s eyes to, makes you feel full of energy.   Popped outside before breakfast to give  the Birds their seeds and survey the area to see who had ventured in during the night.  Sometimes faeces from a Badger or Fox is deposited, just to say they called. 


I walked further on towards the Strawberries and there was enough to pick for two portions !

Narcissus

Went back upstairs to see if ‘Narcissus’ had called, he was swinging on the telegraph wire again and as soon as he clocked me, he was off over on his favourite tree.


He couldn't Wait for that Dip !   - Our Son x
Stepping stones to Beach 

It was that time for preparing for a ‘Picnic’ on the Beach.   We’d had a hearty lunch,  pasta  and Himself made a selection of white rolls and brown loaf.   He made Egg Mayonaise and cheese rolls, just lovely !   The time was getting on and everything was packed into a huge Cool-rucksack thingy.  Only just managed to squeeze them in.  Oh !  and a mini cool bag of fresh fruit., with a massive flask of freshly made Hot Milky Chocolate Drink.   And mustn’t forget the biccies !  



 We eventually got to our destination and first thing I did was take my shoes and socks off, then scanned the beauty of it All.  I hadn’t been since the end of January as our Woodland had taken ahold of most of our time and what a feeling, to walk along the ‘ebb’  of tiny waves, swishing into deeper waves !  The free n easy touch of the water trickling between my toes reminds me of being a child again. 

Sea Trips
Our Son caught sight of two Girls waving like Mad, with a Dog, from across the estruary  – they seemed to know us.  And, “Yes”, it was our Friends with their beautiful Dog ‘Pip’.  There was No way we could venture any closer as the Rip-tide was between us.   Many years ago a young Horse Rider tried crossing this area and Very Sadly died - the Horse survived, a tragedy and huge loss !  One has to know the Waters around and beneath , particularly the ‘Tide Time Tables’ for wherever your going to be. 



We didn’t see many Gulls, only seemed to be two or three gliding the thermals but there was a ‘Crow’ appearing to be heading towards our Food Bag, he flew down close, then walked his way to where the bag was actually open , unfortunately for him ‘Business was closed’.   I soon shoed him away by clapping.  The Oyster Catchers were making their delightful sound which echoed across the estruary and seemed to bounce back off the rocks.

A ‘Sea Trout’ jumped out of the water to catch it’s early evening meal, magnificent Species and was quite a size too !  Sadly NO picture.

I got funny looks from Peeps whilst collecting this ! 


I explained to the other two I was taking a walk further on round  the beach and was horrified to see the amount of ‘Rubbish’ that people were “Actually” Sat amongst !  Most of it had been there for some time washed back n forth by the Waves.  'Entangled Seaweed', wrapped up by fine Fishing line or plastic sweet wrappers.  I took the Said Rubbish home to dispose of properly ! 







Sharp tin lid
Back in January on another Beach a couple of tiny ‘Crabs’ were so tightly wrapped-up in Fishing Net that we had to cut them free.  They survived the ordeal but just how many others are out there that we Cannot Save?  I also noticed on this particular Beach that the heavy storms during the Winter months had caused the Sand to cover All the Rockpools,  which left nowhere for the little ‘Crabs’ to hide, eventually we did find some small areas for them.












We packed our things and crossed the estuary and saw a Beautiful Pair of  ‘Mallard Ducks’ but they had seen me and were waddling off.




Travelling on  ‘B’ roads to yet another beach  the light was beginning to fade.  We had scared a huge flock of ‘Crows’ that had decided to sleep on the telegraph wire – one or two experienced ones stayed put.  And the empty Holiday Cottages that were forlorn looking during the Winter months had come alive with lights aglow and a massive 4 x 4 parked outside – holding a Canoe on it’s roof. 
Parking alongside the Cliffs and looking down upon the Sea , a curved view of water on the horizon made me think of what else is out there.  We didn’t stop long as it was ‘Dark’ by now and the time was around 11 p.mish .

Link to SeaJelly Egg ? Not SeaJelly egg look here please   >
SeaJelly? "NO" it's something else,look at link below please 



JUNE has arrived the Summer is here !

1st June  -  The outside looked all grey but it perked-up late morning with a most beautiful sky so it was time to do some Digging in the Veg. Patch.

2nd June  -  I peeked out of the bedroom window and saw ‘Narcissus’ swinging on the telegraph wire with his lovely friend  - they were both looking in  - maybe they’ll have a family with the same obsession , who knows  !   x  x



The Garden looks quite empty without the flurry of Blue-Tit mania but the Sparrows make up for their loss with their young Fledglings and possibly may return to do the whole sequence again?






The evening had moved on and the Sun was setting itself up for Bed.



Thank you for Reading 


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