well, he's been back and forth with so many nesting / building materials, he's obviously working on a pretty impressive structure.  as it's within the ivy, i can't see what's going on tho

Big Garden Birdwatch results are in.
.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9441000/9441321.stm

http://www.rspb.org.uk/

I am fine, crescit, and how are you?

Yes, I am still thinking of travelling around the world, either this year or next, perhaps around September.  I definitely want to visit Malta and Gibralter, to suss out  the gambling employment opportunities, then Portugal,Germany, Dubai, Egypt,for the antiquities, Thailand, Goa, China, Australia, New Zealand and America at least.  It is not really a holiday, more to see if I could live somewhere else. 

Anyone any suggestions as to where I could live on the cheap?

again [:(]

I had never seen an Owl in the wild before last Friday night.

I was driving home from Newmarket after dropping off some Cheltenham staff.

I was about 2 miles from home so it was a 'local' Owl.

It swooped across my bonnet as I went through a vilage at 30 mph.

I'd guess its wingspan was 5 to 6 feet.

winkie found an owl with 5 to 6 feet


mine was Superb Owl

all good here, thanks annie.  just been feeding some sausages to the magpies

i've heard good reports on goa as a cheap place to travel or live.  don't think it would be my cup of tea but each to their own..

Thanks, crescit. 

I like the idea of goa as most of my neighbours over the last ten years have been from India and have been hindus, as are the majority of India, and have, without exception, been the nicest neighbours I have had.  When you consider I have lived in over forty places that is saying something. An english couple from my area moved there some years ago and said that only because of the visa rules do they come back.  I live in a predominately indian area anyway, so it would be no different 

hippy annie ?

that's just brilliant blackbarn!  no wonder i've not seen him around this weekend, he's probably away whittling down a pine tree into a block of flats or something.  hats off to the little guy!

nothing wrong in that imo - was one myself in the late 60's !!

extraordonary scenes here at the weekend. The wagtail nesting in a large berberis bush about 7 feet tall seems to have been joined by the pair of robins who are always in the garden. Could they possibly be nesting in such close proximity? I know birds of the same species often like to have a small collective of nests but not two different types. Or have the robins who are real hard cases of the bird world said to the wagtail, "finish that nest, then do one sunshine."

I've been getting all scientific and have compiled my definitive list of every bird I've seen in my garden since the start of the first winterwatch

12 different species which i think is pretty good going from a standing start!!!

I've listed them in the order of the numbers in which i see them but i've cross referenced to the top 50 in my essential guide to garden birds (that facts recommended).  The numbers are where they appear in the top 50.. (not my garden)

i was surprised to see blackbirds 2nd in the list, I have seen a few but very rarely.  and i was double and treble surprised to see that chaffinches are number 5 in the list and goldfinches number 10.  they look great and i've never seen one, despite laying trails of nyger seeds all over the place.

overall, i share 3 of the top 4 with my guide, although I would admit that my feral pigeons outnumber sightings of all the others put together


feral pigeon 16

house sparrow 1

starling 3

blue tit 4

magpie 14

woodpigeon 6

robin 7

great tit 8

blackbird 2

dunnock 11

= wren 20

= pied wagtail 25

I have House Sparrows and Starlings every day. The Starlings must be the cleanest birds around, always the first into the birdbath after i fill it with fresh water

sorry crescit - have to decline I'm afraid.
Missed off the list -  Green and Great Spotted woodpeckers and Sparrow Hawk ( once each)!

My garden 'wish list' contains:-

Nuthatch
Jay

The Bats were very busy last night,I think they are nesting in the attic.

I was fishing (not the forum type) yesterday when a Robin landed in the tree next to me, it too was singing really loud, but then it did something i thought was strange, i stared at it and it was as if some one turned a volume switch down.

It was so strange ! At first i thought it had stopped singing and i was actually hearing another Robin far away, but it wasn't, i could easily see its throat and beak still moving.

Robins are atypical in that they sing throughout the year.Most birds only sing during the lead up to and during the breeding season.

Size for size,Wrens are thought to have the loudest song.

Meanwhile,my Moorhen chicks should be hatching in a few days time.

Have not seen so many Bees and Butterfly for many years, fantastic

just heard a cuckoo for the first time in many years, which is good! Swallows and house martins also back over the weekend, swifts usually follow a few days later.