Odds & Sods 2021

Not the best photo but a hind paying her calf a little attention this morning up in the peaks and another with their calf in woodland (calf missing from the photo as it was sat low down)

Thanks Dave. That sounds good!

I have a couple of unkempt trees and bushes. This year I deliberately kept tidying up to a minimum. I planted a couple of new things too but it might take them a few years to make a difference.

My neighbours are very tidy so the tangles are mostly in the back garden, which is reasonably private!

A tree sparrow? If so, seeing one in the garden for the first time in a few months.

Yes, lovely photo of a beautiful tree sparrow, a very nice visitor to have in your garden

It looks like something was hoping to keep warm and dry in the Trailcam over winter....

LOL PB
Dave you must be freezing sitting outside listening to the birds passing over, very dedicated I call it, maybe a dram of the hard stuff in a flask to keep you company?

Think its the first time I've seen a large crow hanging on to a feeder like that ! You might need to make some raw pastry for it or roll a fat ball or suet nugget out !! The crow in our last garden (nicknamed Earl) used to wait for us to chuck it a wodge of cheese/nut/suet pastry or a Peckish Nugget and maybe a tin of dog meat mixed with cooked pasta, especially during the colder winter months which he shared with the other corvids = the birds were ruined LOL ! I see Cyril squirrel is still up to its tricks - they never give up so12/10 for endurance ha ha.

Unknown said:

Think its the first time I've seen a large crow hanging on to a feeder like that ! You might need to make some raw pastry for it or roll a fat ball or suet nugget out !! The crow in our last garden (nicknamed Earl) used to wait for us to chuck it a wodge of cheese/nut/suet pastry or a Peckish Nugget and maybe a tin of dog meat mixed with cooked pasta, especially during the colder winter months which he shared with the other corvids = the birds were ruined LOL ! I see Cyril squirrel is still up to its tricks - they never give up so12/10 for endurance ha ha.

The crow was feeding on fat sticks, or tree trunks as I call them, but did try a few times to reach over to the suet pieces on the neighbouring feeder, but that was just a little out of reach.

I had a poor quality vid of the crow coming in to land on the feeder, talk about precision approach and soft landing, that was the understatement, elegance doesn't start to describe how graceful the whole manoeuvre was.

We're down from 3 to 2 Cyril's in the garden, the older one which took that massive leap, seems to have moved on, either with wings or to pastures new. The thud as it landed on the feeding station pole must have resulted in some pain at least, or just age has got the better of it and a natural end..

The younger pair keep trying, forever in hope, though I do suspect one day, one or both will make the final stretch on to the feeders.

Mike, I certainly remember moleskin climbing /walking breeches and woolen pullovers that took an age to dry after a bad day on the hill. My old favourite was a Ventile over head anorak that was almost bomb proof. When I first did a test on the trousers brought out by Rohan we thought they would never catch on,how wrong we were. I do feel  very lucky  in that while  health  problems  have reduced  my outdoor  activities  somewhat my obsession  with upland  birds does  take me out into  the  hills