Country File

[Orcs]

We have had a solitary rook in the garden the last couple of days. I thought they were more social birds.  Not sure where the nearest rookery is to here

[FierceKitty]

In Japanese chess you get only one rook.

[Raider4]

Maybe he just wants some alone time, to get away from the hurly-burly and stress of the rookery?

[toxicpixie]

We've got foxes. Which would be nice, but they're terrifying the chickens, literally to death :/

[steve_holmes_11]

In Japanese chess you get only one rook.

Until you "turn" opponent's one by capturing it.

[steve_holmes_11]

This week, mostly bird stuff and lawn mowing.

A very overdue cut of the lawn and my post-surgery recuperation continues.
#3 son came back fomr University to assist with a chunk of the back lawn.
We left a border uncut as per "be nice to the bees" advice.

Also closed up a couple of holes under the eaves where jackdaws were intent on breaking and entering.
Visits to the garden now see 2 pairs of jackdaws looking down in an accusing manner.

Big "thump" on an upstairs window yesterday.
Checking about revealed a very young and slightly bewildered starling standing on the patio below the window.
Thinking about cat danger I herded it to a more sheltered location, and dropped off some bird food.
Several minutes later a loud adult starling appeared and started making a lot of noise.
The two flew off together.

This morning, shuffling and tapping on bedroom window.
Pulling back the curtain I saw a very young starling perched outside.
We eyeballed each other for a while and it flew off when I opened a side window.
(Though not before taking a dump on my window sill).

Have I made a friend for life?
How do I persuade t to visit a little later in the day?

[FierceKitty]

Until you "turn" opponent's one by capturing it.

Do you play?   

[steve_holmes_11]

Do you play? 

Shogi, Yes.

I had a ranking once, also had a couple of bilingual books on the subject?
I still have a magnetic travel set, but haven't played for years.

[sultanbev]

Found five dead baby starlings on a path at the community garden last week which was a bit of a shock.
But good news is the swifts are back in the area, and a pair of blue tits have taken up residence in my partner's bird box at the bottom of the garden. Looks like they are feeding young too, judging by the flights in and out.

Saw spoonbills again last month At Fairburn Ings RSPB reserve. And whilst at Bempton cliffs amongst the usual gannets, razorbills, guillimots and occasional puffin we spotted a rock pippet, a bit of uncommon one - only 34000 breeding pairs and only live on coasts. My partner got this pic:

[FierceKitty]

Shogi, Yes.

I had a ranking once, also had a couple of bilingual books on the subject?
I still have a magnetic travel set, but haven't played for years.

Rather proud that I challenged and beat one of the management at Gojozaki Guest House on my last visit. He warned me that he wasn't very good, however, and that his father would have been another matter. Probably true; I'm certainly no Yoshitsune.

[steve_holmes_11]

Rather proud that I challenged and beat one of the management at Gojozaki Guest House on my last visit. He warned me that he wasn't very good, however, and that his father would have been another matter. Probably true; I'm certainly no Yoshitsune.

That's an impressive boast.

Claims of "not very good" in any native art form need to be treated with extreme caution.

I think back to a string of Indian postgrad students who were "not very good" at cricket, only to effortlessly dispatch the regular team's best bowlers for a flurry of boundaries.

[FierceKitty]

Indians who are not very good at cricket are fed to the crocodiles!

[toxicpixie]

Our little orange visitor furry visitor git is not content with frightening old hens to death, it wants into the new ones and has severed the wiring to our auto close door on the coop!

I was going to post a pic but the forum requires JPG not JPEG and I can't reformat the file extension on the phone :/

[Heedless Horseman]

Going back a long time, now... Grandma used to buy Peanuts still in 'shells'... and 'somehow' thread them into a 'string' to hang for birds. Possibly with Darning Needle and wool?
Would Husks be beneficial?
Not something that I could be bothered with... but might be interesting for some to try?

Ps: In a Hospital stay, Ma asked for a bag of such nuts to do to relieve boredom and hang near hospital windows. An elderly Lady patient thanked Ma for her care and for providing a source of interest! Apparently, the Lady was a descendent of either Grace Darling or Florence Nightingale... but, sadly, I cannot remember which and cannot ask Ma, now.

I just fill nut/seed feeders and put out Fat filled Coconuts now and again... but for own garden.

[Heedless Horseman]

Hmm. Have just noticed some sort of insects establishing colony behind recent Fascia under flat roof.
First thought was Wasps... but, thinking, 'may' be Bees. Have not gone up close yet!    They seem rather small for either... (But Bees usually smaller than Wasps). Are there any other similar nest builders?
If Bees... can stay... would be impossible to remove, anyway. Wasps... "Best ride outa Town, Boys!"