Some from The Hideout 2023

THE HIDEOUT

a sneaky one from the garden, a  Long Tailed Tit on the feeders.

That was taken from my recently completed mancave, called The Hideout.

That has provided good  sanctuary whilst not being able to walk far, and I’ve no doubt it will continue to do so. All I need to do is finish tweaking what goes where, but the view down the garden is perfect.

Mr BB checking all is clear

Then checking me out….

Maggie on the cherry tree, not sure whether it’s safe with me in The Hideout or not….

A dunnock about to nip down and feed on some seed I spread just outside the door.

The cherry tree taking on its autumnal gold


  • thats a good idea makeing a hideout sanctuary and that you can still see the birds from there  and its good   it provides good sanctuary while your not able able to walk far aswell.  those are really good photos of the birds

  • Zo Clark said:

    thats a good idea makeing a hideout sanctuary and that you can still see the birds from there  and its good   it provides good sanctuary while your not able able to walk far aswell.  those are really good photos of the birds

    I'm pretty lucky, my wife and myself live in a 1920's house, which typically have long gardens. When it was built, most gardens were used as a source of homegrown food, with room for flowers etc.

    The Hideout is an integral extension to the garage, which became a convenient dumping ground.

    Now double glazed, heated and carpeted inside.

  • Michael B said:

    Zo Clark said:

    thats a good idea makeing a hideout sanctuary and that you can still see the birds from there  and its good   it provides good sanctuary while your not able able to walk far aswell.  those are really good photos of the birds

    I'm pretty lucky, my wife and myself live in a 1920's house, which typically have long gardens. When it was built, most gardens were used as a source of homegrown food, with room for flowers etc.

    The Hideout is an integral extension to the garage, which became a convenient dumping ground.

    Now double glazed, heated and carpeted inside.

     that is definatly lucky 

  • Unknown said:
    Nice set of photos Mike.

    Thank you William

  • I am wondering about the possibility of getting a bird feeder for the backstreet, unmade (overgrown) and blocked off at one end with leylandii trees and other shrubs and a Silver Birch trimmed back. However, I have three cats so I am wondering if it is a good idea to buy any bird feeders at all, and as an amateur photographer I want to take photos of the birds on the feeders.
    There are also a few panel fences nearby as well as a wall around my backyard, I live in a terraced house, by the way.
  • Lovely photos Mike from your new snuggly, warm mancave!

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Puddly Dudley said:
    I am wondering about the possibility of getting a bird feeder for the backstreet, unmade (overgrown) and blocked off at one end with leylandii trees and other shrubs and a Silver Birch trimmed back. However, I have three cats so I am wondering if it is a good idea to buy any bird feeders at all, and as an amateur photographer I want to take photos of the birds on the feeders.
    There are also a few panel fences nearby as well as a wall around my backyard, I live in a terraced house, by the way.

    It's difficult for me to try and picture your scenario. We have three or four regular visiting cats, which the birds often see and when seen, will fly into nearby hedges and trees for as appropriate for refuge, which are not more than 2 metres away from any feeding point.

    While there are lots of pointers to consider, probably the most important are

    • Do you have many visiting birds
    • Is there adequate safety refuge, ie trees or bushes very close by

    If the answer is yes to both, so long as you have somewhere where you can safely install a feeding station, then give it a try.

    Birds will only feed if they feel safe and secure.

    One final point to consider, if you have grey squirrels in your area, consider a squirrel dome, which is like an upsidedown bowl, to make it difficult for them to access the feeders. If you don't, they will, and they are voracious feeders.

    I will also invite anyone else who may have more info or advice.

  • Well, The Hideout is certainly earning its keep, apart from crap weather, along with the aches to accompany it, the garden has been yielding, and this time not just via the trailcams.

    I'll confess to borrowing the "annual home based themed" threads, because The Hideout is delivering, and the bribery is certain getting desired attentions.....

    For those interested, there is a short 4 minute guided tour, no waffle, of The Hideout, which can be viewed HERE.

    A cheeky nosey into The Hideout from Cyril....

    yes, if the door was open, seeing and no doubt smelling the suet pellets just inside, it may just have made an entry inside...

    To keep the photos to a reasonable quantity, I'll keep the dunnocks, house sparrows, blackbirds, robins, blue and great tits for another time.

    But the snatch of the day, has to be the Jay. Though not evident from the photos, there were actually two jay's, one on the fence on lookout duties while the other fed on suet pellets, before swapping roles. [Note to self, next time take the standard lens in to The Hideout].

    Up in the cherry tree, checking out the garden...

    The morning views of the jay were almost too close to photograph....

    Then I had to leave, which unsurprisingly, disturbed the jays feeding.

    But they came back for the afternoon, and even keener to feed, once they discovered that the window opening meant flying suet pellets landing on the grass....

    Yes, TWO suet pellets!    Fearful Joy     

    Check that throat out, as it swallows the suet pellets!

    Any more?

    They saw the window open again, and returned to perch on the apple tree, before eating more....

    By now it was getting too dark to photograph, so just one last piccie

    Definitely enough to brighten up a dull, wet, miserable day.

  • Lovely shots of the Jay Mike...well done ;-)

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)