Country File

[Heedless Horseman]

Populations tend to vary over the years. The Jackdaws were replaced by Magpies, but have not seen either for a year or two. Mags had been in next door's chimney but probably got rid of!
Robins, Blue and Great Tits stuffing themselves at feeders and Fat Coconuts. Blackbirds have come back... absent for a while. Have not seen Sparrowhawk for a bit. Not much sound of Owls. Other neighbour says Goldfinches around but I have not seen yet. Nuthatch, Goldcrests, Bullfinches, Treecreeper and Wrens were around last year. Also Sparrows... they were noticably absent for some time. Chaffinch that used to batter itself stupid against windows now missing, presumed dead. Have not seen Woodpeckers recently, nor Collared Doves and Woodies and Fox populations seem to have dropped. Probably a bit early for H Hogs to be about much but something eats kibble and ain't seen a Rat! Sadly, not seen Red Squirrels for several years. Cat sometimes leaves bits of Mice, but think He has killed all Voles. Life goes on!

[Steve J]

A Sparrowhawk buzzed the garden twice this morning but didn't alight on the tree, which it sometimes does. First time I've seen one for a few months. Around the same time a Red Kite hove into view in the distance being mobbed by Corvids. Great to see they have finally moved down off the Cotswold edge and to the outskirts of South East Bristol .

[Leon]

I spotted a Golden Eagle last week while on a short trip to Italy, which was great to see.  It was only overhead briefly on its way to lunch but I can tick that off the wishlist.

[toxicpixie]

This popped up for me yesterday - might be of interest for the twitchers!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64786796

[Steve J]

Where some friends live in SE London by the Thames, there are Parakeets everywhere. Damned nuisance for sure.

[toxicpixie]

Might be a few less if there weren't so many tasty pidgeons about!

[Matt J]

I came downstairs Saturday and there was a squirrel sat on my painting desk. I looked at it, it looked at me then panicked and trashed everything. A whole Timecast Vietnamese village id just finished was pillaged, paints brushes everywhere. My wife refused my request to discharge firearms in the house so we had to corral and herd the thing out of one of the doors.
Spent all day wondering how the damn thing had got in... no open windows, no one had been out that morning. Could it have come in the day before and hid all night...not likely whole house would be trashed...and it had muddy footprints.
It was only later my wife suggested 'you sure it didn't come down the chimney..' Pile of soot in the log burner sooty rodent foot prints.

On the plus side  don't need to sweep the flue this year 

[fsn]

Oh dear!

I see Pendraken's Anti-Timecast Squirrel Squad has been activated then?



Hint: Don't buy Kallistra. Badgers can be absolute fiends. 

[Steve J]

That's bad news to say the least .

[Matt J]

It's ok, the resin was surprisingly resilient. Trees that I added, not so...

[John Cook]

I came downstairs Saturday and there was a squirrel sat on my painting desk. I looked at it, it looked at me then panicked and trashed everything. A whole Timecast Vietnamese village id just finished was pillaged, paints brushes everywhere. My wife refused my request to discharge firearms in the house so we had to corral and herd the thing out of one of the doors.......

You got off lightly.  A neighbour of mine had a squirrel come down the chimney, while there was a fire in the hearth.  It set its tail on fire and in its panicked attempts to escape, it set the curtains alight.  It was caught eventually and taken to the water butt where it was 'extinguished'. 

[toxicpixie]

Ouch, that's both a bit rough! I've had a panicking bird in the extension before, that's fun with excitable hounds. Nothing so exciting as arsonist squirrels tho!

[FierceKitty]

Ouch, that's both a bit rough! I've had a panicking bird in the extension before, that's fun with excitable hounds. Nothing so exciting as arsonist squirrels tho!

There's a pun there, but it's too easy....

[toxicpixie]

There's a pun there, but it's too easy....

In war every pun is very simple, but the simplest puns are very difficult.

[steve_holmes_11]

You got off lightly.  A neighbour of mine had a squirrel come down the chimney, while there was a fire in the hearth.  It set its tail on fire and in its panicked attempts to escape, it set the curtains alight.  It was caught eventually and taken to the water butt where it was 'extinguished'. 

To think that Tamburlaine had to make do with camels.


Imagine what he'd have achieved with a similar weight of squirrels.

[Heedless Horseman]

Foxy at kibble last night.    Have not 'seen' for some time. 'Something' has been emptying bowls but thought, maybe cat or rat. B left a 'present', though! 

[Heedless Horseman]

Light 'dusting' of snow S Northumberland. But shelterred, here. it may come! I don't mind snow... until Ice! it is Wind  that I HATE! More seed for birds... and kibble for 'vermin' aka Foxes, etc. cleared! 12 PM.

[Raider4]

Ahhh, snow. An inch or more on the parked cars outside, but the road is clear and traffic appear to be flowing.

When growing up, the only time we listened to the local BBC radio station, to see if our school was shut. No breakfast TV in those days mind! Heck, still only three channels.

Hmm, I appear to be having an attack of nostalgia.

[Steve J]

1" - 2" of snow here in Bristol, which is settling but not on the roads which are slushy. Bristol Airport is closed due to the snow. I'm sure I saw hedgehog poo a couple of days ago which was good, but I imagine it's gone back to bed for a day or so now.

[toxicpixie]

Ahhh, snow. An inch or more on the parked cars outside, but the road is clear and traffic appear to be flowing.

When growing up, the only time we listened to the local BBC radio station, to see if our school was shut. No breakfast TV in those days mind! Heck, still only three channels.

Hmm, I appear to be having an attack of nostalgia.

we were late for school on the C4 start day, it was that exciting an event. Mind most of the school includiong teachers was late anyway as they'd all stopped to watch it!