Just got back from a disasterous trip to meet a friend for coffee. The car park was treacherous and after several double selkos I grabbed the handle of a car I was passing, only to find the door wasn't locked and it flew open, causing me to do another double selko with two twists. I eventually managed to get back in my car only to find it wouldn't start - dead, very dead battery. Phoned hubby to come and get me with some jump leads. No reply. Phoned his mobile number and heard the lady tell me I had insufficient credit. Borrowed a stranger's phone and spoke to hubby who was at the far end of a large field with one of the dogs. He said he would be 20 minutes. I sat in my car and it began to snow, with an icy arctic wind, and I was frozen to near death. I had no radio or heater, but there was a blanket on the back seat, which I used. I thought I would do some bird watching as there are plenty of trees in this car park, but not one single bird anywhere. Hubby arrived, car started, and I got home.
I went upstairs and glanced through the bedroom window - two beautiful long tailed tits on the feeding station. This is a first for me - never seen any round here. I couldn't help but scream. They heard me and flew to the fence. The same second they landed on the fence, a black moggie arrived in the same place from the other side, and out came its front legs and claws.
I am happy to say that the birds escaped unhurt and the moggie fell off the fence then ran away, but not before I uttered some very unlady like words. I doubt the tits will venture to my garden again after that, and I am going into self imposed hibernation for the rest of the week.
Cheers, Linda.
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Haven't stopped laughing yet.
Great story. Good you can see the funny side. It certainly made me laugh. Please try not to frighten off the long tailed tits again. Perhaps that's why your goldies disappeared for a while - too much excitement.
Tony
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Omg Sparrow, I'm crying, someone pass me some Tena Ladies!
It sounds awful that you've had such a disaster but it is so funny, like Fawlty Towers sketch.
Oh Sparrow! I'm crying too! Isn't it awful to find that funny but it's just the way you tell it!! I'm sure the LTT's will be back if they spotted the food!
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
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So well written Sparrow, it's a shame more couldn't happen so we could have a daily report. Wouldn't be funny for you though. A book even, you out wit Jeremy Clarkson any day.
Oh dear, one of those days when you wish you'd stayed in bed!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Thankyou all for your replies, glad to see we all have a much needed sense of humour in this weather.
This wasn’t the first incident with said black moggie. The fence in question has a tray feeder attached about a foot from the top. One morning I was happily filling the feeder when, thud, moggie landed on the fence and began his descent to my garden. It shocked me for a nano second as he was nose to nose with me, but he backed off and disappeared from whence he came. The second occasion a jackdaw was sitting on the feeder eating his dinner. Moggie arrived in the same fashion. Now jackdaws are big black birds, and moggie is also black, much the same size as jackdaw. They were eyeball to eyeball, and jackdaw has those unblinking menacing eyes that stare and glare, not to mention a fearsome beak. Moggie fled. It was then that it struck me this is why my little sparrows have abandoned this corner section of my garden and retreated to the other side. Moggie must have also paid them a visit. Since then I have stopped using this particular feeder until such time as I find a nuclear cat deterrent.
(PS I love cats, especially black ones)
Oh Sparrow LOL, I am so sorry to read about your day LOL. Pretty average then really? LOL <hug>
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Oh Sparrow, I can't help but laugh, but what a day! I bet you were glad to get home!
As for black moggie, he sounds a bit of a menace! You know that green trellis stuff you can buy on a roll? Well we used that to keep nextdoor's cat out. He couldn't get a grip on it, and being creatures of habit he never tired another way into the garden.
Hope your Long-tailed Tits come back :o)
Hi,
I had wondered about some form of chicken wire or similar on top of the fence. Not very high, and bent/curved over at the top in the direction the cat arrives. We used to use this method to stop our tortoises climbing as they couldn't negotiate the overhang. Perhaps chicken wire is too flexible and moggie may use it as a trampoline, so maybe the green trellis stuff might work. Thanks Paul.
I also hope my LT Tits come back. Is this likely? Do they tend to return to a food source? Never having had any I don't know what their behaviour is like.