Here Be Dragons

A frustrating morning. Couldn't settle to much as I had my annual check up at the local hospital this morning. I knew there were road works on the way and in the end it took nearly twenty five minutes to drive the four miles. Seen early for the ultra sound scan but had to wait ages in the queue for my Xray. Decided to use a different route back which meant driving through the town but I forgot the chaos in the narrow streets on market day. Now I have to wait until the end of December before I find out the results.

I was ravenous by the time I got home just after mid-day as I hadn't been allowed to eat anything since the night before and was only allowed to drink water.

After a hurried ham sandwich and a mug of coffee I took a tour round the garden. Once again there was a Common Darter Dragonfly flitting about which gave me a few photo opportunities.



The small sections of coloured pigment on the wings actually give a little extra weight which helps the dragonfly control its wings.



There was also a Common Hawker flying around which flew between my legs twice while I waited to see whether it would settle. Needless to say it was being awkward and didn't stop once before it left the garden.

Here, especially for Shysongbird, is a poem I found:

“Today I saw the dragon-fly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Through crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson

During our afternoon walk down the lane there were several Common Darters and some lovely looking brambles but why is they are always the opposite side of a three feet deep ditch?



Finally a Greenfinch at the bird bath. Another dribbler but this time the water was dropping straight back in the bath so no bib needed this time Glo.



It was only when I enlarged the photo that I noticed the ring on its right leg. I think this is one of this years brood so may have been ringed fairly locally.

Demon Eyes and Other Visitors

I expect that Dunnocks visit the garden fairly frequently but I only spot one every now and then as they tend to stay close to shelter. It was very dull the other day when I spied this one on the garden fence in the shade of overhanging bushes.



During a brighter session I spotted a Chaffinch having a drink from the bird bath and later a Goldfinch sitting in the sunlight giving its feathers a good preen.



Another of the bird sown Sunflowers has now opened fully and is being visited by various insects including this Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.



One or more adult Hedgehogs continue to visit for a snack of crushed unsalted peanuts, dried mealworms, Sunflower hearts and raisins. Yesterday a new day / night camera arrived so I fixed it in position to try it out. It is in a fairly low position and the intense reflections from the hog's eyes gives it the appearance of a spiky demon.



Today I have moved the camera a bit higher to see what difference that makes. I will not know the results until after dark tonight.

Thanks to all who left kind messages regarding the loss of Hope, the young Hedgehog. They were much appreciated.

As no Hedgehog seems to have made any visit to the hedgehog house I am contemplating moving it to a different spot. I wonder whether the dead pine needles in that area of the garden put off the hedgies as they have soft feet and probably find it uncomfortable walking in that area.

Sad News to Report

It is with a sad heart and misty eyes that I have to let you know that Hope, the little Hedgehog who went to Hedgehog Care, has passed on to Hedgehog Heaven.



R.I.P. little Hedgehog.

Wash Behind Your Ears

Look son, if you want a girlfriend next Spring you have to learn to bathe every day. Don't forget to wash behind your ears.


Aw, ma. The water's cold.


Brrrr. I'd better get this over with or I'll never hear the end of it.


Can I come out now Ma? I've washed behind my ears.


Hedgehog Visitor:

The lighting for the feeding area has been flickering for a while since rain got in the fitting so yesterday I reset the camera to switch to black and white at night and made some temporary Infra Red lighting. I thought it would not be strong enough but as it turned out it was a bit too strong. One Hedgehog visited before my bedtime last night and another about 1.30 a.m..



Changes in picture quality were caused by me fiddling with the software!

Walkies:

On the morning walk I was taken by surprise. As we approached the first field which has just been ploughed and harrowed I spotted a group of nineteen geese gleaning any left over grain. I think they were Canada Geese. Nearly half of them appeared to be juveniles judging by their smaller size. I only had my mobile phone with me and though the camera is good on very close subjects its wide angle lens did no justice to the photo. With only 3 mega pixels it could not be cropped much.
I tried to get a bit closer but as I crept towards the group they slowly wandered away.



Unfortunately that was the best shot I could get of a sight I had not seen before in the thirty plus years of walking that lane. Often see them overhead but not on the ground.

Windy Days

There have been some strong gusts of winds from time to time over the past couple of days. The sort of weather where you see a pigeon soar up in the air and end up flying backwards. Talking of pigeons one has been collecting twigs for nest building. I saw it in the dead tree next door with a piece in its beak which it took across to the large Leylandii in the opposite corner of my garden. After a short while I watched when it came back for more. It walked along branches reaching down testing short dead twigs and trying to pull them off. It succeeded several times only to discard them. All the time it was having quite a problem keeping its balance in the gusts of wind which threatened to blow it into the dead brambles below.



Many birds like to sit right at the top of one dead tree. Yesterday morning a Chaffinch and a couple of Goldfinches were determined to hang on to this prized spot in spite of the strength of the wind. The camcorder was on its tripod. All the movement is the tree wobbling in the wind. A Great Tit can be heard calling from the bushes beneath.



Sheltered from the wind the Great Tit was paying brief visits to the bird table to collect food. Each time it spent a while surveying the area for possible danger before venturing down. All the time it was calling to another Great Tit which stayed just out of view.



With all the calling, bobbing and fluttering it may have been encouraging the other to join it. I caught a short glimpse of the other Great Tit which was adult and not a youngster so it may have been defending its territory.

More of the Regulars.

What a grey day! Yesterday it rained most of the day, partly that fine drizzle which you cannot see but soaks you in a few minutes interspersed with heavy downpours. I will admit the ground, and my pond, were desperate for water so I shouldn't grumble too much.

I was able to stay indoors but wildlife has to keep up the daily round of searching for food so all the usual feathered visitors were still visiting the feeding area.

How is a bird supposed to eat when all the seeds have stuck together?


I'm sure he puts the tastiest seeds in the middle on purpose!


Make way! I'm going to find somewhere dry to eat.


I do look handsome now I'm getting my adult feathers.


If you saw the Goldfinch on the bird bath yesterday where I mentioned it needed a bib to catch the drops of water then you can see it with a bib added by Glo of Porcelain Rose if you click here. Glo says, "The handy thing about this particular bibbity-bobbity-bird-bib is that it can be rolled up when finished with, and tucked under wing or beak (much like the Tommee-Tippee Roll 'N' Go bibs for humankind).". Nice one Glo.

No sign again of Hedgehog activity before I went to bed. Quite a bit of the food had gone from the dish by this morning so they may have moved to the late shift again.

For any of you who don't read Shirl's blog - Shirl's Gardenwatch, her new post Sh.. Hedgehog Napping has some great video of a Hedgehog in the new Hedgehog House. Well worth a visit. I haven't seen any sign of activity in my hog house as yet.

A Few of the Usual Visitors

Just a few photos from yesterday.

I am pleased I bought the extra feeder for the Goldfinches as this was the early morning sight. (BTW the grey bin you can sometimes see in the background is my wormery)



Later on one youngster was so exhausted having to find its own food it fell asleep on the perch.



Amongst the youngsters visiting was this Greenfinch busily picking up seeds the others had dropped.



I think we need a bib to catch the water running down the chin.



Last night was very wet and by the look of the amount of food left in the dish this morning I think the Hedgehogs gave my garden a miss.