(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds on 2008-02-23, 22:31:00

Three Garden bird photos for a Sunday morning before work. The Robin is in all three.The last one shows a coal tit flying off at speed with the Robin flying in.
The robin hops along the fence to take some seeds from the feeder. He was photographed with his beak full of seed.
Hope to photograph my first Crocuses tomorrow. The flower buds looked like rockets last night under the glow of the security light. Yellow and black rolled flower buds.
Enjoy your weekends wherever you are :)

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, house mouse, plans, weather on 2008-01-31, 09:12:00

It was foul outside today. Pouring rain, hailstones, and snow driven downwards and sidewards by the wind. I watched the hailstones ping off the fence and soil like pinball machines! The gusting Westerly wind blew upto 70 miles per hour. It is forecast for snow tomorrow when im at work and minus six degrees at night.
The diurnal mouse has removed all the seeds around the rose when i worked the two long days, and today was at the far end of the garden hiding behind the compost bin.
My biggest mystery is the Birds waterbowl under the Viburnum keeps getting emptied out. I fill it up to the brim, and when I check it is nearly empty and drained of water. There are no holes in the green bowl but something is either drinking it, or bathing in it!
The birds came back today despite the weather.
I hope at the weekend I can revamp the right border with a log roll. The new plan is to keep the pavers as they are, and used raised bag beds to grow the veg and potatoes.
The cabbage seeds are germinating in the cold frame despite the weather. The alpine strawberrys are growing slowly in the cold frame also.
I need the new borders ready by March. Most of my seeds are to be sown in March. I need to organise them into piles. Directly into the ground, and into seed trays. I have to stock up with three inch pots ready for my masses of plants to grow on.
Im writing brief notes in a Garden Journal to try and keep track of whats being planted when and where. I am in heaven with the amount of space in the kitchen to grow seeds in.
When the Weather drives you back into the house you begin to plan and dream of warmer days, and sunshine.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, Goldfinch on 2008-01-28, 10:17:00

The birds sat in the denuded Fir tree with blue skys above them. They have cute red and black faces with dark wings, with yellow wing bars.
It was a quiet day in the garden due to building work being directly behind the wild strip. I did however see a mouse stashing the ground feeders bird seed.
He was hiding beneath the pavers where the vegetable bag gardens are going to be.The mouse was busy carrying bird seed away.
I am going back to Harlow Carr after Paris in Febuary. I hope that the Harlow Carr gardens are bursting with Spring colour at the end of Febuary. They have four resident pigs now, after the Emmerdale pigs went back to TV work.
I will try not to take 300 photos like I have done every previous visit (three times last year).I get tempted when there is so many plants, tree's, flowers, sculptures, and water to look at.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, photos, slideshow on 2008-01-15, 10:28:00

Hopefully this will work. The full thirty two photo moviing slideshow.......

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, Primula on 2008-01-14, 07:38:00

I have been chilling out today watching the birds feed almost all day. As one bird flys off another two, three, or four fly in.
Like Avian wrestling tagteams, hand slapping at the corner.
The Hellebores are reluctant to flower, and I check them everyday. The Primulas and the Heathers are the only plants in flower.
When the flowers are thin on the ground you start to look for other things. For me its the garden birds that have found their way into my small garden..
The Blue Tits have been feeding on the ground seeds. I saw a Wren hopping around my left hand border, ducking between the plants that are spread around.
A family of Blackbirds have moved in as well. Three males, and two females have been in and out of the garden, sitting on the fence.
The Great Tits, and blue tits have started flying into the cover of the Viburnum Tinus, using it as a base to dart out to feed.
The Blackbirds, robin, wren, blue tits, coal tits, and great tits all feed amicably, only sometimes scaring each other off.
The Golden flowered Primula had water in it. It made me think of a Golden cup, overflowing...
Bulbs are poking up slowly around the garden. I cant imagine what it will look like in full Spring Flower.
The Garden is a joy, even when not much is flowering. Winter days are short, and the nights long. I hope my seeds and bag gardens come soon so I can start the next phases of the garden creation.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, angel cakes, gremlins on 2008-01-13, 03:59:00

Sunday morning still. A few bird photos from during the week of the gardens own aerial acrobats (The Blue Arrows?).
Pictures of the Fairy Cakes (I call them angel cakes with wings), and a basket of plants I rescued from work.
The house smells of roast Chicken now... A night of Gremlins with the Oven cremating the second lot of cakes a la King Alfred, and the Internet went off untill this morning.
After a phone call to BT I went through it step by step and it is now restored :)
Have a good weekend wherever you are!

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, bird bath, presents, solar lights on 2008-01-09, 12:59:00

Hils brought the new Bird bath in on Monday. I hope they use it to drink and bath...

A new Bird for the Garden.I dont know what it is yet. I need to read my Bird books and try to identify him. He picked up the seeds that have dropped from the red net bag that is on the fence post...

The Blue Tit stretching his neck to admire the new bell shaped seed feeder!

Another Unknown bird.I thought it was a Blackbird but it is not I dont think. He fed off the ground near the Bird table..

Ding Dong. Bird seed in a Bell shape. Fran brought it this morning along with the Dogwood, and a DVD player. The fruit cane is now holding it aloft.I love the acrobatic birds balancing on it as it swayed in the wind. They found it within five minutes off me placing it outside.

The Solar Light, one of four outside now in the Left hand Border.They must have charged the battery before they packed them. I just removed a red tag and it came on.I think night lights add magic to a garden, and mean you can see it differently at night, compared to the Daytime.
A day of gifts, shopping, and birds...

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, photos on 2008-01-01, 08:16:00

Today I woke up at half past three and made a coffee. I sat in the Kitchen and looked through the window at the garden. It was like Picadilly circus with the birds in the garden.
Blackbirds were hopping through the garden, acrobatic Blue tits were balancing on the fat ball holder. He looks like the Lone Ranger with a mask on, or maybe Zorro!
When the batterys died on the camera a female blackbird was eating a worm just under my kitchen window about two foot from me.
The Robin was singing and trying to chase the Coal tits and Blue tits away from his territory.The New Peanut holder from Hils was being used, and even the seed mix in the red net bag on the fence post.
The light was fading and the birds kept moving from the camera.They are the garden spirits I think.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, new year on 2007-12-31, 09:31:00

Happy new Year from the garden birds. They are eating the fat balls, this acrobatic blue tit flew in and gripped the cage with his feet. The robin had been doing the same earlier.
December 2007 has seen the most page loads of the entire year, surpassing even the Summer months. I must be doing something right :)
May all your New Years be beautiful, and all your plants flourish and give you pleasure and healing in equal measures. I am working nights again, so I will be at work when the traditional Big Ben clock at Westminister tolls midnight, and sounds in the the new year "2008".
I'll raise a glass of non alcoholic drink if its not busy.
Hope to see you all soon. Best wishes to the Blogosphere, all the garden blog readers, and my regular commenters.... from the Snappy Gardener, all the well fed garden birds, and the plants.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, Primula, seeds on 2007-12-23, 08:53:00

The Blue Flower of the Primula manged to escape the worst of the frost that coated the cars and pavements. The council gritting truck had been out last night as I went to work.
I looked this morning, but all the plants were wet and the water bowls had cold water in but not frozen.
All the staff cars in the hospital car park were covered in thick ice this morning
One more night shift to go before I can chill out and watch the birds.
By the backdoor tonight I found lots of moss and dry leaf mulch. I think a bird has been nest building somewhere on top of the house. With the light faded, and the temperature dropping I could not see where they have built their nest.
The bird feeders continue to attract garden visitors. I saw a female blackbird this morning, the resident Robin hopped onto the fence briefly. A great Tit spent five minutes eating off the table. I went to bed then.
The sweet peas have germinated in the kitchen. The White Lisbon spring onion seeds have come up in the propogator box. The herb seeds have started to germinate in the coffee filter paper.I have an extra large 84 cell which will be filled with row upon row of herbs and spring onions.These will be grown indoors for a few weeks before being moved to the cold frame.
Two days before Christmas....hope you are all prepared and happy :)