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

Wed. 2nd April 08

Last night the dish was opened by 8.45pm but no badger was seen. It was a brock though, by the way the dish was opened. At 10pm I took a look and there was a ‘furry’ thing running backwards and forwards. Don’t tell PHM! A quick rattle of my chain and it was gone thank goodness.

At 11pm the fox was at the table and he dragged the lid from the dish half way down the garden again I expect to find it gone one morning.

By 6.45am the table was over too, and the lid even further down the garden I took the top off the patio table and all the birds came rushing in. It was dull and cool with the odd sunny spell, but they were all ‘eating for two’, or three or four etc. I think

The female woodpecker came at 11.30am and 3.15pm and possibly later too. Ginger was on the prowl along the fence tops today which meant there were a lot of alarm calls sounding off. The nuthatches in particular were very busy, either hoarding food or feeding offspring. We had a magpie in each of the hanging baskets pulling like tug o’ war contestants, dragging lengths of coconut fibre out.

The blue and great s are very vocal for such tiny birds. I was ing away for this afternoon and the starlings were doing ‘fly ups’ past my upstairs window as they fought for a place on the peanut cake.

I put the badger food out this evening and shortly afterwards a ‘furry’ appeared briefly on the patio, but once again a rattle of the chain saw him off. He won’t find anything till the badger has been anyway

Writing is a thirsty business so I am away for a or something , as it is quite warm this evening.

See you all ing tomorrow I hope


Websailor

Dropped in for my usual "fix",but mostly to ask if you were feeling better WS??
I do hope you're back to your normal self
ing again!!!

Sorry...

Just as well Websailor isn't peaking over this wall

Rich, what are you sorry for


Why, what's going on Frenchbean My spies are clearly not working today.

Smurfles, I am fine again thanks. Take no notice, I get these migraines and similar things from time. I only mention them in case I have to go missing for a while. Wouldn't want you to think I had gone AWOL, I would have the after me

Back later,

Websailor

I am still .

for not being around much this week. I have had hospital and clinic appointments, the traveling and waiting around makes me so . I have a hospital appointment tomorrow, which will mean me being away most of the day.

I have done so much talking today, I am losing my voice .

With regard to the bats, I quite often see about 5 fly over during the summer evenings . They look like black dots in the sky, seeing one close up can be a bit scary.

I went to France a number of years back, and can always remember the bats in an un-used barn near to where we stopped. I walked over to it one night and there were loads clinging to the sides at the very top. It was very scary!.

Take care.

Nigel

WS! New e-mail forthcoming. However! I am having difficulty in exporting/importing my contact list - shall I use the 'wildmail' addy?

Must remember to tell the Prof!

I am really lucky as the trees and flats make a fairly restricted area for bats here and there is always a swarm of insects for them so see many every night. Sometimes only around 4 feet from my window.
.
Yesterday I went to somewhere I had been to birdwatch before and although it was ok with woodpeckers, chaffinches, etc I was surprised to see the lovely young-ish male ginger coloured cattle that were across the path before had gone. When I left there was a notice on another entrance to field I didn't see on way in. It said it is a Foot and Mouth site, from last year, There was a footbath there still for washing boots but clearly all the cattle had sadly been put down.

Nigel, I shall have to keep a look out in the evenings as I haven’t seen a for a while.

Thu. 3rd April 08
Weather: Dry, dull, mild. Sunshine late afternoon.

Last night the dish was open by 10.30pm, apparently only in the previous half hour, but there was no sign of life. 2.50am and the plate that covers the dish was half way down the garden again, so clearly the fox had been again. The ‘furries’ were not sighted thank goodness and the table stayed up as it was empty.

This morning the magpies were at the hanging baskets again, this time pulling huge chunks of fibre out . I shall have to get new linings at this rate They had a good drink when they came back so it must be thirsty work .

A collared dove was on the feeder this afternoon, the first time for several days. I am not concerned about the lack of birds as there must be a fair amount of natural food about at present. Insects, buds, worms etc. must be thriving in this mild weather. I must keep an eye open though as the weekend forecast is not good and they will be queueing up again.

I have an apple hanging in the lilac tree in a cylindrical basket. The blue s love it, but today a magpie started taking big chunks out of it. That is the first time I have seen that

I haven’t seen the robin, possibly because I haven’t put cheese out for a few days, and the blackbirds haven’t been around so much because I haven’t put raisins out either, because of the r-a-t-s. The jar I keep the raisins soaking in nearly exploded this afternoon. I could hearing a *hissing* sound but couldn’t place where it was coming from. I realised just in time The raisins had swollen up to fill the jar tightly and it would have been a real mess

Note to self - don’t screw the lid down next time and don’t fill it so full!

Roll call - magpies, wood pigeons, dunnocks, blue s, great tits, long tailed tits, blackbirds, starlings, bullfinches, nuthatches, collared dove. Two squirrels. Only two because I haven’t refilled the peanut holders or put any on the ground. Those furry things have a lot to answer for


Websailor

Scorpio_ Yes, use the wildmail one then I can send you all of them. It will save you messing about.

It would be wise to tell Prof too Can't have our resident Prof upset.

Websailor

Don't tell me then .

Off to sulk behind the .

I will cry on Frenchbean's shoulder .

Nigel

Nobody me anymore Frenchbean .

They are all ignoring me

Oh dear, what am I going to do with him Behave young Nigel, Scorp will get round to you eventually. Give her a chance. If she wants me to I will pass it on to you when I get it.

There, there, dry your eyes young'un. Now get back behind the wall and behave

Websailor

The words and don't belong in the same sentence, Websailor Not from where I'm ing anyway. I've got s, ing, and general shenanigans going on here

Nigel, I wasn't ignoring you, honest. Well I was, but that's because I was fast asleep I'm nine hours ahead of you, and unless you have a VERY LOUD sulk you haven't a chance of waking me.

I'm surprised you haven't seen the robins since you stopped putting out cheese, Websailor. You're still putting out seeds I assume? Mine used to go mad for the sunflower kernels

Nigel! Stop whinging! You're still very special and I shall send you my new addy asap. As with FB

Nigel's after sympathy vote

So's sal by the looks of her