More Prickly Encounters + Giveaway of the Day

Giveaway of the Day has Aiseesoft Total Video Converter available for about another 17 hours at the time of writing. I have installed it (Windozy XP) and it looks a very useful bit of software. In fact I used it to brighten up the following video which was taken at 10.30 p.m. last night. Then the video was completed using Ulead Video Studio, ATVC can crop, cut, merge and save video files in many formats.

Another three way prickly encounter.





These are a few photos I took the other day when the Jackdaw was feeding its young in the garden.

A Prickle of Hedgehogs

I knew there were at least three Hedgehogs which regularly visit the garden at night but last night was the first time I had seen three together at the feeding area.

The way things turn out maybe I should have titled this:
Two is Company but Three is a Crowd.



That is not a lightning flash near the end but me trying to get a photograph from the kitchen window, not very successfully.



I did manage to get one of a Hedgehog having a drink.

Friday at the Flicks (Jackdaw Feeding Juvenile, Clouds)

Hot off the press, camcorder anyway, this morning is some video of an adult Jackdaw feeding one of its youngsters. I first spotted one juvenile by itself under the Birdy Bistro but an adult near the end of the garden spotted me and flew over to fetch the young one away to safety. Fortunately they stayed under the far feeders while I set up the camcorder.

It's a slow job when you have to find each seed and strip the husk off before you can give it to your offspring. Plenty of noisy Sparrows nearby!



I had rebuilt my electronic gizmo which fires the 350D at fixed, chosen intervals and set the camera up in the garden last Tuesday to give it its final test run. Fascinating on a hot afternoon the way each cloud bubbles up and disappears and the way winds blow them in different directions at various levels.

956 photos (one taken every 6 seconds)  make up this video clip which was automatically produced using VideoMach.



 Have a great weekend observing the natural world around you.

Who Likes a Jam Sandwich?

I enjoy a jam sandwich



So would I if I could get near it



Don't fly away, I'm hungry too

Beautiful, though exhausting, Weather

There was a time, maybe up to ten years ago, when I couldn't get enough sunny weather and would be outside no matter what the temperature but these days the body doesn't cope as well as it used to. I am so pleased I had the air conditioning unit put in this room. There is somewhere we can both retreat to cool down.

A couple of nights ago we got a lovely sunset. Most of the time dark clouds seem to arrive just in time to spoil the view but late that evening things were just right.





Once again I spotted one of the froglets leaping about the garden. It may well be less than an inch long but can leap about eight inches every hop and takes some keeping up with.



I was surprised how well it could climb. As it approached a concrete step it jumped half way up the vertical edge and then crawled its way up the rest. I wonder how many of the scores of tadpoles have made it this far it their development.

My shallow water pond lilies are now coming into their own. Each flower only lasts a short while but there is usually a succession of them to add a bit of colour to the dull water.



Very close to be back door this spider has its web. I have never seen it move from its position in the centre but I assume it does manage to catch some prey from time to time.



It has been a slightly messy start to the week as during the past two days I have had an ugly old stone fireplace surround removed and replaced along with the installation of an inset gas fire. Another 'round tuit' over and done with. That one has only taken thirty years to achieve!

Angel and her Foal

As we walked down one lane I could see the mare and her foal right across the field so I decided we would go round to the other lane and try for some video. As last time, by the time we reached the far side of the field there was not a thing in sight. Part of the field goes behind a house and they were in that section. We stood there for ages waiting patiently for a sighting. Nothing.

Our luck was in though. Trundling past us was Stan who turned out to be the owner of the horses and he lived in that very house. Stan invited us to go in his back garden to get a close look and then I could see the reason why the horses had not come in to sight. The foal was having a rest and Ma was staying close by.



It turned out that the mare's name is Angel but the foal has not been named yet. It was an ideal spot for photography as the horses were only a few feet away. Stan went in the field and the foal got to his feet.



You can hear voices on the video as there was another visitor having a close look.



The foal was very cautious and stayed close to mum but having got used to visitors after a short while he decided the best thing to do on a hot afternoon was to relax and soak up the sun. It had been really great to get a close look at the youngster and manage to capture a bit of video as well as some closer shots.



Afterwards Stan invited me to stay for a cuppa and we had a long chat before wending our way home.

All photos and video were captured with the Lumix TZ7.

Friday at the Flicks (Pigeon Face Off, Blackbird, 480 mph Journey)

Many birds arrive for breakfast long before I wake up in the morning. Most of the time they keep out of each others way and get on with eating. There is one particularly bossy Wood Pigeon which does not believe in sharing and often uses its wings to keep others at a distance. I had to smile at this pair as they tried to outstare each other to get at the seed dish.



The Blackbirds are not singing as often as they did a month or so ago and it was unusual to catch one so low down. This time it is Bobby getting in on the act.



Yesterday I went for my usual monthly meal out with an old friend to one of the local hostelries. I had obtained an in car camera which I used to video the journey. Travel time was about 17 minutes so the video has been speeded up by 8 times so here is a very quick view of my area of the country though you may need a travel sickness remedy before you watch it. Speeded up 8 times means that speeds equivalent to 480 mph are achieved.



Hope the weather is as kind to you as it is here. Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.