"Odds & Sods" (old version) - please add to the new thread 2020 instead !

Glad you have been able to see the grey wagtail before you leave Hazy, and two together also. Your second photo is a stunner, and the one capturing it's meal is just showing you are still fast on the trigger!!

Hazel, I agree with Gaynor--how wonderful that the Grey Wagtails visited you before you move out!

Great photos, Hazy
It will interesting to see what birds you get in your new place. We'll give you a day or two to settle in of course ….

Unknown said:

It will interesting to see what birds you get in your new place. We'll give you a day or two to settle in of course …

lol Nige,   you might only be getting photos of polo ponies  !!     not expecting too many birds during August and part of September as they go into moult and other birds prepare to leave our shores but we'll have more time to visit the coastal areas and reserves so really looking forward to a rest first before we do anything  !    These last few moths have been a long hard slog and we're both in need of full battery recharge  lol       Moving out this Saturday, packers coming Monday and house completes Wednesday -  just a few more days of chores and then we'll be freeeeeeee     :) 

I'm very jealous of all you Jay photographers, I've never managed a decent shot, nor of a magpie in gorgeous iridescence :o(

Although we don't complete on our house sale until Wednesday we are now in process of moving into our temporary rental just three miles down the road and spending our first night here.   Was  a very busy day from early morning and not stopped until now transferring items over and also found I had to steam clean the rental property - wasn't up to my high standards and I'm a bit fussy about bathrooms/kitchen, etc.    As if I haven't had enough to do   lol  !      Anyway,  I digress ………..  a welcome sight when we arrived here were several families of House Martins who are nesting in the eaves above our modern barn conversion.   There were also swallows perched on the overhead lines so whilst waiting for my steam machine to heat up I grabbed the camera -   as  you do   !!      

Well at least I think they are house martins and swallows but as I don't see them very often I'll leave it to you to correct if needs be !

House Martins first - I think ?      there are three in this nest 

and Swallow

they were calling much of the time ............

I think we're going to like it here …………… once I've cleaned the place up and down to looking after just one house  !

Oh, Hazel--lucky you! And gorgeous photos--thanks. I love all of the Hirundines. They are beautiful, graceful and seemingly chatter happily all of the time! Your photos take me back 30 years to our rescue of a tiny House Martin chick who had fallen from a nest on our house. We fed it using the end of the cap of a Bic pen as the nearest thing we could find to a bird's beak. We gave the bird a box and the whole of the spare room and we researched what to feed it. Once it could fly we waited until a flock of House Martins flew over and released it. It immediately flew up to join them, chattering happily as it went. It was both joyous and sad for us to see it go. Sadly, it was only a few years after that that we stopped seeing any at all in our neighbourhood.
As for your rental place--sorry to hear you had the extra work of cleaning it. Must be a real pain in the neck, especially after all the work you and Mike have done already. But we'll be happy to book you to do our place once we get settled (which will probably not be for a year or two--lol!) What is your fee for steam cleaning services, please?--lol!

lol Ann, my rates are very reasonable for friends - I just charge a cup of tea ! To be honest I don't think I've ever felt so tired and not sure how we keep on going as batteries went flat weeks ago ! think we're just on auto-pilot but hopefully once we hand over the keys to The Laurels we'll be able to take our time getting this rental to our liking. It's right in the middle of the countryside and brings back fond memories of living on this lane for the first 10 years of my life, passing our old house to get to this one. The barn conversion will be fine once I sort out every nook and cranny and can work out all the various gadgets and connections - at least I found broadband lol ! Lots of lovely hot water so just had a soak in my freshly steam cleaned bathroom :) A good nights rest before we start all over again tomorrow ferrying things back to here and putting other things to one side for the packers on Monday - it never ends LOL

LOL, Hazel, I'm sure we could manage two or even three cups of tea at the very least!  Edit:  (And maybe even a biscuit or two!)
Best of luck with the remaining work. I was hoping you could take tomorrow off for a little rest but at least you have the pleasure of remembering your childhood every time you pass the house on your way to your temporary home. And I imagine you are looking forward to getting up to LM shortly after this bout of moving house is over!