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Add your "Odds & Sods" here thread ... 2020

WendyBartter
15/01/2020 17:27

Starting with a first for me ... Sparrowhawk in neighbour's garden here in quarry, only ever seen a seemingly lost youngster many years ago!

Grabbed ID vid footage through d/glazed door, then battery died & by time I'd replaced it to go outside for better res a delivery driver stopped next door & frightened the bird off!! grrrrrr

Hope it's a one-off for the sake of my Spadger horde!

2019 thread here ... https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/196421/add-your-odds-sods-here-thread/1275306#1275306

 

 2013 photos & vids here

eff37 on Flickr

  • 23/06/2020 20:02

    Ok,  time for a few piccies, mostly taken through the window at home as we've not managed a trip out anywhere yet !

    first of all, the layout ..........this is the side garden we look out upon,  where the rabbits are seen when I am brewing up !     East facing;  the round flower bed has water in the middle so often the birds bath in it, especially the magpies ! 

    A family of magpies seem to have also claimed the territory of the garden and one adult had a brood of 4 offspring;   not sure I've seen a magpie with 4 babes chasing her around for food !

    Here's two of them.....    even at a young age the colours in their plumage is beautiful, so many blue/green/black/white colours 

    and one sunning itself .......   bit difficult to get a good pic through double glazing 

    this is the momma most likely of the 4 offspring -    the morsel looked like a small bird.    I have seen them take juvenile blackbirds although this looks a lot smaller. 

    this is the south view from the living area/balcony.    The pond is in the process of being cleaned up a bit although the weed and plants are attracting insects like dragonflies and damsels and there are some tiddler fish which the herons take advantage of.     Wait till its filled with carp and see what happens lol       The fountain will eventually be operational too.   Recently a Canada goose raised her chicks in the bottom tier which was empty of water and a warm place to incubate the eggs being stone ! 

    The rabbits are seen here too scampering around (southern direction)  and Goldcrests can be heard in the trees.

    The north view overlooks a Dovecote and here is a newly created living garden on top of the communal garage roof.....   

    south view from lounge/dining area (the pond is out front)     Btw,  carpets arrive on 1st July    YAY !!!     LOL 

    View from bedroom which adjoins the lounge balcony above 

    and to finish, seeing as it's still bird related  ...........   here are a few accessories I bought as I want the new place to be bird/wildlife themed  !!! 

    and below another cushion and I have a few plates to match    lol 

    finally,   I could never forget Earl the crow at our last house so I had to buy something which reminded me of him.........  

    I have a picture of a Hare to go somewhere in this 3 sided glass home  !!    and I also have two lamps,  one of which is a Hare and the other is a Fox.   They have yet to come out of wraps as I have no furniture to place them on yet    lol 

    At least it gives you a rough idea of the new abode and its bird/wildlife theme.      Thanks for viewing.

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • 23/06/2020 20:18
    Lovely, Hazel! I trust you will be very happy there! Love the bird accessories. And excellent news about your carpets. The grounds are beautiful as well. Mr GB says he has worked out what the whole site was before the housing development, though I cannot remember if he had ever visited there or not.

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 23/06/2020 20:29
    A beautiful set up Hazel. You will settle in there no problem. Lots of lovely greenery, trees, shrubs and wildlife. Like the cushions and of course Earl himself, a lovely reminder.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • 23/06/2020 20:37
    Hazel, I've now read your post on the previous page--that is excitement you do not really need concerning any wannabe invaders! Good to hear the site has effective security as well as good neighbours. Just what you want. I wonder if the security staff for the former site owners has been hired to carry on the good work (or from your post it sounds like there is still some science being done on part of the site--I hadn't known that). Over the years we've lived here in the balmy south there have been several incidents in the area with travellers or gypsies (not sure which, possibly both). There was a short time of the councils finding sites for them (as in TJ's area), and a few instances of break-thru of fences and some time of uncertainty with trying to move the people on; there have also been a couple instances of impromptu illegal sites becoming littered and unhealthy, and numerous efforts by the authorities to get the intruders out, but I have not heard of anything in the last year or two, possibly because more and more vulnerable areas and gateways, etc., have had stronger gates or huge tree trunks and/or rocks and/or cement barriers installed; hence the places locally which are likely to be invaded are becoming fewer and fewer.

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 23/06/2020 20:54
    Thanks ladies, we've hardly started with moving in yet so once the carpets arrive it will be full steam ahead again.
    @ Ann, yes the site was formerly Astra Zeneca which was part of the Manchester Science Park and our abode is on the former AZ cafe site ! the grounds/parkland date back many years and there are listed icons which have been restored. It is really beautiful around here albeit a bit of a construction site for a while yet.
    We don't really expect any more trouble as it's ramping up to Fort Knox outside lol Our developer has been kind enough to provide night security guards with dogs on site for the next fortnight which will give the rebels time to move on.... we've told them Surrey and Berkshire are very nice areas lol I don't think I could feel safer anywhere in the country at the moment !

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Regards, Hazel 

  • 23/06/2020 22:54
    I haven't seen your other post but it sounds a little lively at the moment. Coincidentally my nephew worked at Astra Zeneca for a number of years. He started there from school when it was called something else before the Americans took over. They wanted him to relocate with them to London but he took redundancy instead. It's a small world.
    Your home area is superb with all the countryside around and wildlife abundant. Love the bird theme you have started, and glad to hear you are getting carpets in a week.

    Lot to learn

  • 23/06/2020 23:09
    Oh, ha, ha, Hazel! Luckily, we never actually had any problems as close to us as your incident was for you, not at our previous place or this one which is only 3 miles from the first place. Any invasive incidents were several miles or more from us. The current place is confusing--post code is Surrey and they collect the rubbish, but the postal sorting office (or whatever it is properly called!) is in Hants, despite the house actually being in Surrey. Nothing like a bit of schizophrenia, particularly in times like these.

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 24/06/2020 08:46
    lol Ann, don't get me started on postcodes ! Being new build the postcode does not always show up when you try to enter your details on set forms which reject your address and you can't always enter manually. An Amazon courier left my parcel half a mile away as his Sat-Nav took him to a different place. They don't seem to use common sense sometimes as it was a house they delivered to, not an apartment and with no resemblance of our address apart from 22 ! Fortunately, the very kind home owner drove our parcel over to the sales suite on site and they delivered it to our door. I contacted Amazon when we were able to track the driver and see the route he was taking where he left the parcel but they insisted he handed it over to the resident and it was the correct address - what can I say ? !!!! Some drivers find us, other's don't. I am trying to register my Miele laundry appliances and the form will not allow for more than 4 lines of address and will not accept this new address; I can't enter it manually so I contacted their office in UK and they said they would have to contact Germany to adjust their online registration form ! The world has gone mad lol I needed a soak in a bubble bath to cool down and relax every day so far ! And I haven't even started on the real moving in stuff yet -. good job I've got you lot for some light relief ha ha !

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Regards, Hazel 

  • 24/06/2020 12:34

    Mrs PB is thinking of moving in with you Hazel, she very much approves of your new place.... and also the soft furnishings, and Earl..... we have Max.... a monkey.... holding the lampshade.... Rolling eyes …. Must be a girl thing!

  • 24/06/2020 12:38 in reply to PimperneBloke
    PimperneBloke said:

    Mrs PB is thinking of moving in with you Hazel, she very much approves of your new place.... and also the soft furnishings, and Earl..... we have Max.... a monkey.... holding the lampshade....  …. Must be a girl thing!

    Lol PB,   tell Mrs PB she's more than welcome,  especially if she brings that afternoon tea and cakes   !!!     I haven't got any tea cups at the moment, only bird mugs !    waiting on our long term household storage items to eventually be delivered after one year !    

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    Regards, Hazel