h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*Wonders if WS has taken the hump* *I mean.... where's today's posting? - last week she was admonishing me for not keeping her on her toes!* I'm getting withdrawal symptoms.

Patience woman!! I don't post till late evening as I have other things to do

Back later when I have caught up

Websailor

Wed. 20th Feb. 08

Weather: Still Bitterly cold. Yet to see if the weather ‘bods’ have got it right and that it will get warmer.

Well, what did I say last night - no badger turned up I think the fox may have eaten what was on the table! Certainly the magpies finished it off this morning.

No frost this morning though it was still bitterly cold and the water was still solid ice. It finally thawed enough at lunch time to remove it and put fresh water. The ice was a good two inches thick.

Eight blackbirds were there this morning when I finally surfaced, and the robin was glaring at me from the fence, waiting for his cheese. Long tailed tits followed, with blue s and great tits in tow and the dunnocks were flitting in and out of the cotoneaster and lilac bush, tails flicking like wrens. Only the different shape and size distinguishes them at a glance.

Wood pigeons, magpies and a jay did a good clear up, a few starlings dropped in with two collared doves and three bullfinches perched on the feeders with one goldfinch. A rather fat ginger or it’s twin wandered through, looking a bit fed up without even the energy to chase the three squirrels. They seemed to know, because they raced around him, daring him to chase

Tonight I have a choice - - watch for badgers - or look for a red . Body and mind says but we’ll see. I’ll let you know which wins tomorrow.



Websailor

Righty Ho! - I shall wait and with baited or is it bated? breath - as usual, looking forward to some wonderful posting. So glad that Boss Man is ok; but a little concerned as to why he is up and awake so early.

I have been a bad girl today - visiting the Chatsworth Garden Centre; but have managed to secure something which I have been looking for, for months. One of those bird feeder thingies with four feeding perches and a roof, with a hole in the middle; and a spike! You put an apple in the hole and secure it with the spike and lo and behold the bloody snarlings demolished it within the hour.

We have a nice greengrocers, which sells off the not too best fruit and veg at very little money; so today I asked if they had any 'going off' apples for the birds. I got four; which were perfectly good enough for anybody to eat for 25p

I used to do that with the greengrocers, but they have all gone now. pretty much just the supermarkets. I just buy big bags of cheap apples, eat some and use the rest for the birds and badgers. I don't think I have seen one of those feeders.

I got the Badger Trust Newsletter today and apparently it is not unusual for them to come above ground for a short time at this time of year. Usually they don't go far from the sett, but do occasionally go to regular feeding spots. They recommend putting a little food out just in case they come and find no food!! Now I feel awful

Previous years there has been no evidence of visits till mid March, but this seems to be a funny old winter. The other thing of course, is that I don't know for sure which sett they come from. Depends how close they are.

Oh, and i think it is 'bated' Funny how we have to stop and think!!

Nite nite

Websailor

I have to stop and think all the time WS! Where do I get the badger trust newsletter please?

Tomorrow, I will try to find a steady hand and send you a photo of the apple feeder.

Sorry but I'm getting really sleepy now - it's those tablets - it's driving me mad but never mind eh!

Nigel

There you go WS! Apple feeder as promised:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11305258

Actually, I don't think this is going to work; so log on to Flikr

Morning Scorp *Waves*,

the link does not work and was looking forward to seeing your new feeder .

Not to worry, I am going round to Websailer's this afternoon so she will be able to show me your lovely piccys then .

You mentioned last night about your tablets making you really . Mine do too and find it quite frustrating when there is something that I really want to do or get finished and cannot keep my eyes open .

Thats the problem with tablets, they help one thing but create another.

Oh well I shall keep on .

Take care.

Nigel

*waves back to NIgel*

If you want to get my e-mail address from WS, do feel free to e-mail me. I can then give you an invite to my Flikr pictures.

Thu. 21st Feb. 08

Weather: Still very cold, and dull, but no frost or ice. Gusty winds throughout the day.

As you know I had three options last night, and I almost managed all of them, partly.

3.31am and 5.20am I was able to check for the Eclipse but had no luck as the cloud cover was total, not so much as a to be seen

Checking at the same time with the night vision scope, no badger had been either!! Definitely not my night but I did get some good time in

The blackbirds were up and about at 7am but there was plenty of food still out there so I crept back for a bit more time. When I finally moved myself the blackbirds were waiting along with the robin and three squirrels. Lots of birds were flitting around - blue and great s, long tiled tits, chaffinches, bullfinches, starlings, magpies, wood pigeons and collared doves. Two nuthatches were busy dashing backwards and forwards as they ‘stashed’ food for later

The woodpecker came at 12.10pm and again at 1.24pm but suddenly shot off. Most of the birds had already disappeared when a flurry of wings shot past my window and a bird appeared on the third fence panel just behind the lilac.

At first I thought it was a sparrowhawk, but it seemed a little small, even for a male and it was looking down at the ground not in to the tree. I only had a side on view through all the lilac twigs, but I was petrified to see a blue sitting in the branches about two feet away from him,and hopping from twig to twig, but making no attempt to get away. It was either naive or knew the bird wasn’t a threat.

When a sparrowhawk lands any bird within reach either makes a desperate bid for freedom or freezes. A sparrowhawk had a ‘beady’ golden eye enough to strike fear in the stoutest heart, yet this one didn’t seem interested in the close proximity of a meal. A sparrowhawk fixes those eyes on prey till they are almost hypnotised but neither bird was bothered.

When a sparrowhawk leaves us it flies low and fast, weaving between hedges, fences and trees, but this one took off in huge bouncing flight, rapidly gaining lift and flying way up high and over the railway.

I have decided, having checked my books and talked to PHM that this was a kestrel who has less interest in small birds than a sparrowhawk. It stayed for several minutes, and appeared to be resting before taking off again. It was quite windy so perhaps it needed a breathing space.

The temptation to stand at the window all day is great, as I fear I must miss an awful lot, yet something seems to bring me to the window at crucial moments like that, just like a magnet.



Websailor

Thanks again WS! By the way - when are you going to register the new breed of ? Do they nest on roof-tops? I've studied all my birding books; but can find no reference to a variety named 'long tiled'

Sorry! just couldn't resist; At least it shows that I pay attention and really read your postings.

watched a program last night on TV, and the honey bee population of the world, is in rapid decline, due to some form of parasite/virus/pesticides and the scientists etc are no where near any answers, as yet. If they can't control it, just in America alone, the honey bee will be gone in approx 20 year - the panic is: most of the food we eat and the food chain we use, comes from pollination by bees

It's certainly very worrying Prof!

http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_honey_bee_crisis_of_2007

that's the one and according to the program last night, one government bee err! inspector type person, says they haven't seen a problem

guess! which government

Thanks Scorp .

Will get your email address from Websailer .

Nigel

Hi, FB *waves* , Scorp and Prof,

First Scorp, Well I did consider registering the new breed but I thought they might think I had been imbibing too much of the Thanks for reading so thoroughly - I should proof read more thoroughly, I do Preview, but I guess my brain sees what it wants to see!!!

Second, referring to an earlier pot, you can get the Badger News electronically from the Bdadger Trust web site, or a hard copy if you are a member. I like the latter a lot of my friends who are interested don't have the Internet. There are lots of interesting articles

Take a look here and click on Newsletter:

http://www.badger.org.uk/Content/Home.asp

**************************************

Prof and Scorp, and any interested ers look here:

A20910304

I do not profess to be an expert but I do have a friend who is the local 'bee man' who keeps me up to scratch.

And Prof, of course it is our Govt. I guess! I know it has affected hives in my area and probably many more. This Govt. knows 'diddleysquat' about farming, the importance of wildlife and food production, and what 's even worse, they don't care!! The wild bees have been decimated and the 'domesticated' ones are now more vital than ever.

Frenchbean, I would like to know what is happening in Australia regarding bees, when you have a minute, since you are close to nature and growing stuff?

Thanks for the link Scorp.

Websailor

PS There is quite a lot about honey bees etc. on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEZaD_G6PM There are some other related clips if you click on 'more' too.

Websailor

thank you for the info Webbie