Grow Your Own Magazine

OK folkies, it's only a week away now: 26th/27th January.
So DON'T FORGET!
and as Piskie said - don't count your bluetits twice!

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With Love,
Wellie

Give it some....

http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com
BLOG UPDATED Sunday 2nd November at 19.30hrs

I've been putting out lots and lots of food for the past couple of weeks now so they all know where to come next Sat/Sun. Got at least 40 House sparrows, 30 Starlings and loads of Chiff-chaffs and Goldfinches now.

Knowing my luck they'll all be full up next week-end and stay away!!

I've worked out a way that I can feed the birds (and not the cats ) so I've been feeding the birds too since the New Year. Fabulous fun to watch - there are some right characters!

Here's the link to the RSPB birdwatch site

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Tues 02/12/2008......End of year report!.....

Im also ready. Got plenty of feeders, fat balls and a pair of bonoculars my daughter bought me for chrimbo...cant wait.

It's going to be fun in our house! Unless our next door-but-one neighbour (Dave) is here to adjudicate: Trousers insists that every Chaffinch he sees is a Bullfinch, which it isn't, apart from ONE time when Dave WAS here for a coffee fairly recently, and Dave assures me that they DID see a Bullfinch. I wasn't here, so I've had to take their word for it...... Give me strength!

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With Love,
Wellie

Give it some....

http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com
BLOG UPDATED Sunday 2nd November at 19.30hrs

Mr F feeds the birds all year round. Doesn't make any difference. They hide on bird watch day!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

The bird count should have been ten minutes ago.
A murmuration of starlings have just descended on the lawn outside the study. There must have been over 150 - never seen anything like it here before. Could it be something to do with the rain and that this must be the driest (only 20mm of water standing on the lawn) part of Leeds this morning?

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Digger-07

"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford.

Topped up my feeders at home today, am going to do the count at work though (as i working that weekend), so i am taking lots of extra birdfood tomorrow to gear them all up.

Ive been to the rspb bird watch site and printed off a recording sheet to help count up all the birdies. Dug out my Bird ID book.

Incidentally I've recently been listening to last years podcasts regarding the Big Garden Bird watch and it has inspired me to join in for the 1st time, i even came home from work tonight and dug into my paper recycling bin to retrieve the recording leaflet which came in a magazine last week. So i'm primed and ready.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

now you all know that I'm struggling to know how many times I've counted a bird - so Snowdrop says (sick black humour alert) 'the only way is to shoot each one on sight and line them up and send in the photo'

He's nothing to do with me I tell ya

We're ready and the birds are very regular visitors here so it should be fun - I have picked the usual breakfast time slot to count as we get tons in when we are eating - so bacon butties and birds it is then

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aka
Suzie

I am ready too!
Hazel, what is your cat/bird method of feeding? please tell as I have two cats (much loved)
and want to feed birds (much loved)
thanks

Hi Headfry - I have a Plan! My 'orrible mogs go out when I get up, but by about 11am they are both back in and snoozing for the day.

THEN I cut up a piece of bread into tiny cubes which has been spread with fat/stock from the gravy jug, and I put this on the courtyard wall. Then the wind blows it all off into the courtyard

I get junior blackbird, mr and mrs blackbird, mr robin, starling gang, mr and mrs magpie, mr rook and mr crow, and every now and again familiy wagtail. to dine all day.

My pusskas stretch and rouse themselves at tea time, at which point the feathered friends have tucked themselves up for the night....

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Tues 02/12/2008......End of year report!.....

I did my watch 8.45 till 9.45. very fruitful. Don't suppose a sun bathing fox counts...? wished i got my camera with me.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

Birds are shying away from my wee garden this weekend... I wonder if they were lured away by those who are feeding them fancier foods specially for the RSPB warden watch? Worse still... they may have been scared off by a neighbour chopping off the two huge trees from his garden yesterday

I keep feeders out all year and usually have loads of birds in the garden. However, this year they haven't been eating at their usual rate - don't know if it's because it's been so mild they haven't needed the extra food. Blackbirds are still about, also sparrows and starlings. Have seen bluetits and a chaffinch, but the little bu***rs are hiding this weekend. All I've seen is a blackbird and a feral pigeon.

Our best count (i.e.largest in number) was the tree sparrow!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Well we scored bigtime! My eldest (ten) asked if we could do our watch on the lottie, which has water on two sides... we only went and saw a KINGFISHER for the very first time ever!!! Had a pretty good tally of other birdies too

That is very cool indeed, Kingfishers are fabulous to watch (good spot). Have you treated them to binoculars and a birdie guide?

We had a green woodpecker on the lawn late this afternoon.

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Typical, an hour after I'd put my results in I had a look out the back and the garden was the fullest it's been all week-end.

I don't think I've ever seen a green woodpecker in real life! DD1 is quite a keen ornithologist, she's a member of the RSPB and has lots of books on the subject. We had binoculars until they had an unfortunate encounter with DS1 (he's not naughty exactly but being autistic he sometimes doesn't quite realise the consequences of his actions!). I think we must get some more now!

Lidl/Aldi sometimes have branded binoculars in store, otherwise secondhand ones can be a decent price. The difference in what you see is amazing, you can tell when people have looked at birds thru bins or not.

I've just splashed out on a pair from the US - I hope I don't have too pay too much on duty & tax (I know what it should be, but I've never had to pay before). No wonder I can't afford any more seeds!

I love the sound green woodpeckers make, particularly this time of year, they sound like they're 'laughing'. So maybe you've heard one but not seen them?

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Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I shall keep an eye on Lidl. I never shopped there until I realised they had fruit trees and bushes but go quite often now!

I wonder if I have heard a woodpecker? One of the things I noticed most today was that we could often hear different calls but couldn't always see the birds making them!

We sometimes get green wood peckers where i work. They sound like Mr Cadburys Chocolate parrot.. deranged more so.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/