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

Scorp I don't seem to have had your new email addie. Any chance of it. You've got mine still I hope

Websailor

Tue. 29th April 08
Weather: Sunshine and heavy showers but colder



Last night the badger could be heard clanking around the dish at 9.55pm and when I dashed downstairs he was still eating. He stayed until 10.10pm before rushing off, exiting left.

A return visit appeared to have been paid between 10.15 and 11.05pm as the table was tipped over but there was no sign of him.

This morning was misty and much colder than of late. I filled up the tables, dishes and feeders and the birds were soon down, the magpies having already cleared the last few scraps in the badger dish

The day has been a mixture of sunshine and showers and the birds have been dropping in and out every few minutes, noticeably just before a downpour. There has been no sign of the woodpecker for a day or two, but all the other birds have been coming in two and threes.

There has been no let up in the rain this evening and I got soaked putting out the badger dish I suspect he will not come until the weather eases off as they do not appear to like getting soaked. It would mean a ing sett for the rest of the night so you can't blame him! I might be wrong of course, it depends how hungry he is.

Back tomorrow. I might have difficulty bird watching tomorrow as it is PHM’s birthday and we may conceivably have visitors, but I will do my best.



Websailor

12 minutes to go and then PHM (being older than me) should be 27 yrs, co's I'm only 25

many happy returns

'Twas interesting today to be by chance standing next to a glass door elsewhere and see a male Sparrow only a couple of feet from me searching for grubs under a roof overhang. They sure are tatty looking birds though!
.
I was just looking out of window and thought I saw an unusual bird so got binos. It turned out to be just a male Greenfinch however what made it unusual was it not being 30 feet up at top of tree. I couldn't work out what it wanted as not actually doing anything then Mrs Greenfinch appeared with a beak full of feathers and realised they are a pair building a nest.
It flew off and I thought it was on a bush but it turned out to be a Wren which is always nice to see in my garden.

Thanks for the card Prof. PHM was chuffed Except for his breathing he is fitter than me As for his age, I'm not sure he ever got older than 14 Our sons are paying a flying visit this evening so I probably won't be online much tonight, so I will do the badger/bird post now:


Wed. 30th April 08
Weather: Dull, damp with heavy showers later.

Torrential rain last night kept the badgers and foxes away but a with a white bib hurried through at 10pm.

However by 1.40am the dish was open and empty and the stone table was tipped over. The rain had stopped so they must have nipped in when I was

This morning was wet and dull but the rain pretty much held off till about 3.30pm when we had a few heavy showers. The birds were nipping in and out all day - bullfinches, nuthatches, starlings, collared doves, wood pigeons, blue s, great tits, long tailed tits and a coal tit. Four squirrels and the with a white bib were early callers, and the magpies were still doing their sparrowhawk impressions which is a bit disturbing. At the moment it is not too bad but I hope they stop it when the fledglings arrive, as the maggies can be such bullies.

Feeding the family tonight, as well as the badgers so I had better get to it *waves*



Websailor

SS, if you are having weather anything like we have, sparrows and everything would be looking scruffy and bedraggled.

We hardly see greenfinches now which is sad. Glad yours are nesting.

Websailor

Websailer wrote: <<>>

That is what she tells all the men



Nigel

<> - because she is a Wise Woman who speaks The Truth

nice one Nige'

Thu. 1st May 08
Weather: Sunny spells with the odd shower.

Quite late yesterday evening two stock doves appeared again . The food was out early and I had a busy evening with family.



11.05pm and a badger was at the dish. As I watched and tried to focus the night vision scope I noticed a dark shadow with two ears sitting down the garden. it was a fox,clearly waiting its’ turn. The badger munched away and at 11.10pm a second fox appeared, roaming round the garden, and coming up close to brock. A quick step forward by the badger and the fox fled though the seated fox remained still. The badger continued munching and the second fox returned to sit under the orange blossom bush. They both seemed quite at home and ready to wait

At 11.18pm the badger appeared to have eaten its’ fill and set off down the garden, making a dash at both foxes who scattered and then chased the badger out left.. As one fox came up to the dish another badger appeared from the centre entrance and came up the garden path (Boss Man definitely) sending the fox running from the dish. He came to the dish to find it empty, sniffed the table but found it full of water and ambled off disconsolately chasing the fox out too. The fox reappeared and investigated the dish too but left at 11.25pm without eating! So far as I am aware the rest of the night was quiet.

This morning it was wet, but sunny and cold. The squirrels were there early and all the birds were feeding well. The two nuthatches have been coming together all day and the bullfinches have provided a splash of colour. The magpies are still being a bit of a pain, sending birds scurrying in all directions. The woodpecker appeared at 12.58pm and was sitting on the basket where the peanut cake usually sits, looking straight at me and plainly asking where it was

I have covered the bird table tonight as there have been some showers and it stops the food getting soggy. The badger food is out and it just remains to be seen whether they will come at a respectable hour so I can watch. I had a very late night last night and I have suffered for it today, so I will not be waiting up for them. I need my




Websailor

It's awfy quiet behind the wall today

You only have to whistle, and I'm there

Fantastic I shall remember that, Skanks.

Please do!

Sorry WS! I will write a hundred lines *must e-mail WS with my new addy**must e-mail WS with my new addy**must e-mail WS with my new addy**must e-mail WS with my new addy**must e-mail WS with my new addy* etc., etc., In the meantime - first name dot surname at sky dot com.

I bought some more army style and green colour trousers today in Sainsbury's. I use the ones I have for birdwatching as green doesn't stand out and it is nice to have trousers where kneeling in mud is ok and expected!
They were originally £18, reduced to £9 in a sale and with another 25% off in another sale making them only around £7.50 which is greet as keeps costs down for bird watching.
I don't think I will use the new pair until September as the ones I have are still ok and it will be nice to have the new ones for a holiday in September when I expect I will birdwatch while out walking. As with all things I try to only buy things for birdwatching that can be used for other things as well if get fed up with birdwatching, so the trousers are ideal as duel purpose.
Not much to report birdwatching wise although did see a warbler type bird at local wildlife sanctuary yesterday which thought might be a Willow Warbler or possibley a Garden Warbler, sadly no one else was there to confirm it as can be confusing as a lot look so similar.
.
I thought I saw a strange warbler yesterday which turned out to be a ChiffChaff. The reason I thought it was something differant is all the ChiffChaffs I have seen have been at tree top and didn't get a close up look with binos, however I saw one really clearly yesterday and close by so noticed Chaffinch type small green markings on wings which mislead me a little. I checked Collins Bird Book and indeed ChiffChaffs have small green wing markings when wings folded. What made it mor difficult is most ChiffChaffs I have seen were singing their distinctive sone, the mystery bird was silent as seemed to be feeding or looking for nesting material.

No need for the lines Scorp. I have emailed you.


Websailor

Just seen a Collard Dove chase a Magpie off!
At least it meant the squirell on the high up stump in my garden was able to eat its pizza in peace. It would seem that pizza is the food of choice for Squirells here and chicken perhaps second choice as most often have pizza, sometimes even half a one to snack from bins.

Blooming heck it's like a war zone in my garden!!
As usual it was all kicked of by a Magpie getting too close to a Squirell. There are 4 squirells and for the last 10 mins all the squirells are barking and flicking their tales but none of them know why as each is making the others bark out! The Magpie is still around making its squawarky bark too in a tree.