Weekly Chat, Sunday, January 3, 2010!!

Tuesday all. Temp now -10C and slightly snowing. Sunrise 9.31 sunset 3.24, so happy days are getting "longer" bit by bit.

Lovely bird-pics, especially loved those "horned ospreys" LOL

Have good day everyone

Good morning, Tuesday.  Some snow overnight – just 2cm, believe it is worse north and south.  Schools should have been opening today but are staying closed – extreme cold and water issues, not necessarily snow depth.  This inch is the most snow we have seen since moving here six years ago – usually we just get “icing sugar” once or twice each winter.  Worse problem is the length of time the ice is lasting – I haven’t been outside the door for 16 days now – except once to try to reach the car to get to the doctor and once to stand on the step to watch the partial lunar eclipse!

I see we’ve had Raven on Osprey nest, Horned Owl on osprey nest – what next?  Osprey on Humming-bird nest?!  Was surprised at size of hummer egg – all that effort to lay a tic-tac! But I guess that bird is pretty small.

Christmas is all away in the loft, chocolate is all packed in small boxes inside big boxes so it’s not easy to get at beyond one per day and back to normal meals since son’s visit.  Tried to resume helping with the big data task last evening – but he’d forgotten where we had got to so I had to try to explain where we needed to start – very stressful.  Retirement shouldn’t be like this – need another rethink this year! 

Margobird – well done saving your Woodpigeon.  Haven’t seen Woodies for ages – all collar doves and Townies here – will be glad when the Academy reopens and the Town Pigeons and Gulls get their fix of chips and half eaten burgers every lunchtime!  Blackbirds by the dozen this morning – frantic chasing for access to the food.  Had three Robins yesterday, which was really chaotic!  Blue Tit has become a regular, other small bird numbers fairly consistent.

Morning original goldfinch my word it is so cold here this morning.  Have just done the daily cleaning of the bird trays and filled up with food as the birds are very very hungry.  We are expecting heavy snow on the South Coast so I will be even more worried for my birds.  Will just have to go out and keep knocking the snow off I guess.  The bird baths are frozen solid again and I am not sure I will manage to get them defrosted today as the temperature is below freezing and not expected to be higher.  How I hate winter, the cold really does me in.

We get lots of wood pigeons in the garden and they can clear a bowl of peanuts in a few minutes.  They are welccome though along with the 2 squirrels who are regular visitors and are now eating more than burying the nuts.    Several robins, bluetits, a thrush, a pair of pied wagtails and of course my sparrows and dunnocks who are never far away.  I do wonder how they survive with the cold nights we get.  I heard on the news this morning that ducks and canada geese are suffering with ponds being frozen over.  I wonder what sort of impact this weather is going to have on our wild life.

Have a good day and stay safe and warm.

Morning auntie  at least daybreak is a bit earlier and sunset a little later for us.  Whatever you do today stay safe and warm.

Morning Paul and Happy New Year to you.  Love the photo and think it is a sparrow.  He is gorgeous anyway and I have to say I worry like mad for the birds in this weather.  Keep warm and safe.

dibnlib had to laugh at Dillon preferring a bed to sleep in.  My sister has a springer spaniel and he likes nothing more than to curl up under the quilty of the bed with just his nose showing.  I think he has got the right idea in this weather.  He is taken up the New Forest regularly and likes going in the water, this week he has been coming back with icicles hanging off of him.  Makes me shiver just to think of it.  Have a safe and warm day.

Thanks Brenda H I have made an appointment to see the doctor now as I am fed up with sleepless nights.  Have a safe and warm day.

Morning all from TI,

Thanks for the sparrow photo Paul. and also Caerann for the owls and eagles.

I have also been trying to defrost the bird bath this morning but it seems to be a losing battle. I am so glad I completed the shopping mission yesterday as we have had further snow. 

Emma Peel : I have just watched Antiques Roadshow on BBC i player and loved the painting of Lady Penelope so much I took this screenshot:

Those of who who like hummingbirds will like this. Perhaps everyone will like this. See http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/