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Post by billywhippet on Oct 28, 2009 10:00:58 GMT 1
I just love this thread. When I get bored at work I just come in to check if there's any more news! I can see the birds, ponies etc.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 28, 2009 12:29:41 GMT 1
There were six magpies; five jackdaws and four crows strutting their stuff out in the field this morning when I went to feed Merlyn and turn him out with the girls for the day. I watched as the crows were turning over stones in the field looking for worms, then realise the others were at it, too. I'd been wondering why there were often little yellowing spots of grass all over the place where a stone had been on the grass for just a few days. Thought at first someone must have been throwing them into the fields and the ponies turning them as they wandered around. Now I know exactly what's causing it! They must move them all every few days. The nuthatch was on the feeders briefly this morning, along with lots of coal tits, the robin and a great tit, too. Darting around seeking insects in the heap of rubbish left by the builders after demolishing the old stable building, I spotted a tiny wren. I seem to have lost one feeder, and as it was one of those square ones that one fills with those slabs of fat filled with dried meal worms, and had been hanging quit low on the feeding station, I'm wondering if a fox might have got that off and disappeared with it?
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Post by Florrie on Oct 28, 2009 14:37:44 GMT 1
have to admit I have given up with feeders in the garden we have a large tree which is full of squirrels and the one that I put up were destroyed within hours even the one in the ivy hedge
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 28, 2009 19:24:39 GMT 1
The squirrels were getting at the feeders in the hedge, but so far don't appear to be accessing them on the feeding station, although if the jumped from the neighbour's chicken shed roof, they could probably get at the nuts. There are still plenty of hazel nuts in the hedge, and seeds the other birds toss out of the feeders to the ground, so perhaps that's keeping the squirrels happy for the time being? Peter mentioned making a squirrel obstacle course on the edge of the carpark, and to amuse the kiddies, but they may well be hibernating by the time we have time to do anything towards that. The kids will have to amuse themselves with a ferret gym, I fear! I emptied the TRPD building this afternoon and swept it out ready for the floor covering to be laid tomorrow. Also chatted up the manager of a local store and acquired a solid little table that had been on display and was slightly marked, along with purchasing a doormat and a new broom that's not been used inside a mucky stable. The flooring is, unfortunately, black, so will show every bit of mud, hay seeds, bark bits etc. Once we can afford a generator it won't be so bad, as I can take the Henry down there periodically. Have also got a donated watercolour painting of an estuary scene to take down there to start off our 'art collection' ( ;D ) although it's supposed to be offered for sale for the building/maintenance project fund. Have a bookshelf being donated too, and some wildlife/bird books. I just hope to goodness that I'll have room to put my cutting table up there!
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Post by Florrie on Oct 29, 2009 9:59:35 GMT 1
you are so lucky ;D I work in the attic have to turn around and look out of the window to see outside so am level with the top of a very large lime tree and do see the squirrels and bird although sying rthat we do have lovely grounds complete with lakes and a resident herion will try and find some photos
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 29, 2009 15:32:59 GMT 1
Well, the carpetting is now down, but I think it must have been stored in a barn previously, and when we unrolled it, there was a DEAD BODY inside! No, I don't mean a spider... something a little bigger, and squashed flat, alas! Fortunately, the roll was large enough to cut the affected end off and still have plenty left over. When in town yesterday for my medical appointment, I managed to get a nice little solid wooden table cheap, as it had been used as a shop's display model and they'd sold out of them now. It will be ideal to rest the drinking water container on, as be reachable also by the kiddies, too. We had Ethan and his older brother, Josh there this morning for a little while, and also Jill and Colin (next yard) had their little granddaughter, Ffion with them, and who wanted to go for a ride on Daisy. She looked as if she'd not seen a grooming brush in weeks and was plastered in mud and burrs! Jill also had a an older girl in her teens helping her with the exercising of their horses, so an extra pair of hands there to help clean and tidy Daisy up before taking her off with Ffion. This afternoon Peter's digging out a trench around the perimeter of the car park, and will then fill that with compost, so that we can make a start planting that up with some trees and shrubs. I'll be glad when we can get that camping kitchen installed next week sometime, as I was gasping for a good cuppa! Off back down there shortly to see to Merlyn and give the ponies their haylage for the night, and to check on progress.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 29, 2009 18:56:45 GMT 1
Can anyone identify a tiny black and white bird, about the size of a wren, and that has spotted wings, please? The ramblers saw one in the forestry near Llanwonno yesterday when out on their walk. They also ran into the new Doctor Who, the Tardis and all the film crew and cast, too, but failed to get any autographs! Poor Peter was complaining about back ache by the time we finished our afternoon session, but the trench has now been dug, and partially filled with compost. Once that is done, we'll dig up various shrubs and things from down the allotment and my back garden, and get a hedge of those started. I'll probably include some currant bushes amongst that, as the birds always beat me to the currants anyway! Something tells me that I'll be needing a bath and an early night tonight... There were a pair of great tits on the feeder today, so obviously word is spreading amongst the local bird population. Peter also saw quite a few blue tits, too. By the end of the afternoon, He had his wife and the two children all down there working. Tomorrow, I'll try to get the rest of the conifers planted in the eastern boundary of the bird garden, although we will need another two of those to complete that stretch. Sarah, Peter's wife, is quite creative, so I'm hoping she will help with the design for the bird garden itself.
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Post by reclaimingrebus on Oct 29, 2009 20:06:37 GMT 1
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 29, 2009 20:46:28 GMT 1
I just suggested that to one of the ramblers, but he thinks it was too small, and might be a foreign visitor blown in. Not having seen it, I don't know, but it may also be a mutated tit. The coal tits around here often have unusual markings, and I've seen a few with spots on their wings.
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Post by Florrie on Oct 30, 2009 10:06:00 GMT 1
They also ran into the new Doctor Who, the Tardis and all the film crew and cast, too, but failed to get any autographs! . or photos
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 30, 2009 20:53:14 GMT 1
No, nothing, They did ask for an autograph, but the new Doctor was busy filming. They were told to go back later, but as they were on a walk and limited time-wise to return home in daylight, weren't able to do that. They did say that there were lots of takes and retakes going on, though, and it all looked rather boring with a lot of hanging about going on between takes. I could have told them that because, when in my teens, there was a film crew working near the stables I worked at, and using some of our horses and ponies. I used to have to get those to the locations for a certain time, and then even have to make sure they looked as if they'd been galloping around and were hot and sweaty, even though most of the time they'd just been standing around grazing and getting bored. Some of the stable's staff had to double for the actors, many of whom couldn't ride, and that was fun, but often very repetitive, or else might have been over in a few minutes, and one wondered if such was really worth all the effort of preparing the ponies, and then perhaps riding them 6 or 7 miles to reach the location, only to be heading home in no time at all. I recall having a great argument with the continuity woman on that film. All of the ponies had colour coded girths on their saddles, and in different sizes. She was adamant one pony had had a different coloured one the previous day, and it had to be changed. All very well, except the colour she claimed the girth had been, would have gone around the pony twice! Nowhere could we find the colour she wanted in a size that would fit, and I knew she was mistaken. All the tack had the ponies names on it, apart from anything else. ') But enough of that... We now have a tea, toast and bacon butty making facility down at Llys Trerobert. ;D I've not tried it out yet, but may well do so over the weekend... I've bought the bacon...
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Post by WarriorNik on Oct 30, 2009 21:28:53 GMT 1
I called in this afternoon to see the progress and it is looking good. Are we going to have a thread or something on here to sponsor the plants, bird boxes and things for the BG? If so, can I sponsor a buddlia (sp) for the car park boundary hedge, please? I can sit in the car there then and watch the butterflies on that when working/lunching in the area. ;D Are the hedge plants still going to be £3 each to sponsor or more? If still £3 each, I'll sponsor a batchelor's button and one of the climbers to go over the arch, too.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 30, 2009 22:46:27 GMT 1
Good point, Nik, we were going to do that, and offer bird boxes; feeding stations, food and feeders, too, weren't we? Peter's children, Amy & Robert, and his wife are, I think, turning an empty paint bucket into a 'pot' for anyone visiting to donate into for wild bird food, if they wish. It is a bit of a creative project for them, and so they feel more involved in the LT project when they visit. I had some rather soft kiwi fruits up the house that I took down and put on the feeding station. What I didn't realise was that one of Jill's hens was able to crane it's neck high enough to reach the feeding pan where they were, and take the lot! It didn't eat them all, because as soon as it got them down, another chicken grabbed them and ran off with them. I've now raised that feeding pan yet again. The birds spill enough onto the ground as it is to feed a flock of chickens.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 31, 2009 13:51:43 GMT 1
Managed to spread a bit more of the bark chippings this morning, and alongside the trench Peter and his family dug. That while waiting for Merlyn to finish his breakfast in peace before being turned out in the field. It is easier to wait until he goes out and then muck out his stable. I don't know where all the litter comes from down there, because the volunteers and I don't drop it, yet I filled yet another black bag of it this morning, ready to bring up and put out for the bin men. Some, I am sure, was left by the builders. They are still working away... It rained heavily during the night and there was a nice little pool of water in Merlyn's stable under where the roof leaks. I haven't yet checked the leak in the groups' building because, by the time I'd spread a load more chippings, I was filthy, and didn't want to shed dirt onto our new carpetting! There's a bucket under the drip though, to catch any water. When I go back down later, I'm aiming to take some more photos. The birds had been busy on the feeding station early this morning, and that will need topping up when I go back. Only saw a robin and a few coal tits on that, but I did spot a little hen sparrow briefly darting under the gate from the next yard and feeding on grain spilled on the ground. I am surprised there aren't more sparrows in evidence. There were the usual crows, jackdaws and magpies strutting around in the fields looking for worms under the stones and after the rain.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 1, 2009 0:42:37 GMT 1
This is the solid little table that I managed to get cheaply as a slightly marked display model the other day. The mugs are a couple of the ones kindly donated by Ruth N, and I'm not sure who donated the little green glass candle holder, but thing it may have been Nik as she and Steve had popped in to see progress around the time it appeared. We were commenting about the need for some lighting there the other day. No doubt the candle will follow! ;D Attachments:
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 1, 2009 12:58:39 GMT 1
Earlier this morning it was blowing a gale and heavy, overnight rain meant the road to Llys Trerobert was a few inches deep in water! Now the rain has passed and the sun is out, but it is still quite windy.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 2, 2009 20:05:13 GMT 1
The weather has been horrible today and it was really dark and overcast for much of the afternoon, but Peter managed to do a bit more painting - this time the woodstain on the doors and their frames. He also told me that he is noticing that the birds visiting the feeder are becoming more used to people being around there now, including the nuthatch, which was back and forth a lot today.
Thankfully, we now have the cooker working, and have been able to make hot cups of tea, as it was cold as well as damp. Peter got the cup hooks screwed up, to, so we are gradually getting more organised there. I managed to plant a few bushes in the trench he dug the other day, and just hope they will survive, as the ground was very waterlogged. I had to dig a little ditch to allow some of the water to drain away from the holes I'd dug, as they were like a series of mini-pools! I really hope things dry up soon, or the whole area will be waterlogged by the weekend and the walk!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 14, 2009 13:39:23 GMT 1
High winds and torrential rain down at LT today, and I was surprised the feeding stations were still standing, albeit canting over at strange angles. We now have a third one sponsored, but I have yet to get all the hooks feeders in place, but have a few hanging on it. There seemed to be a large crowd gathering in the TRPD room this morning, and seeking tea and shelter! Colin, Jill and Hywel, a chap who has a pony on their yard; then there was Sue, her husband David (who kinding fixed a hook inside the door to stop that swinging open in the wind) and their friend Sarah, who had been helping to move their yearling colt down into Bronnie and Daisy's stable for a few days; our volunteer, Dai and me. Mugs were getting in short supply, but Sue promised to bring some down, along with some spare racking that she has to donate for the group's materials. Dai is also going to see about a generator for us at a discounted price. With all the feet now crossing the bark chip and coming in and out, I really need to be able to get the vacuum cleaner operational down there! The mound by the gate where we plan to plant strawberries is growing nicely now, and once we get some dry enough weather, we'll be able to dig out the soil (mud swamp) under the fiels gateway and add that to the mound and plant up all the strawberry plants we have. There must be at least 30 of those now! We'll probably need to put a chicken-proof fence around those, though. I know they are supposed to be there to attract and feed birds, but was thinking more of the blackbirds and so on, rather than the greedy hens! I'm not going to attempt to move any more of the stuff from the old w/shop today. It is just too wet and windy. Will see if things settle down by tomorrow.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 16, 2009 14:34:54 GMT 1
Spent about four hours dfown at LT this morning, and between seeing to Merlyn and the ponies, topping up bird feeders, and cutting out and sorting some of the stuff that has so far been taken down from the old w/shop. Much of the time it was raining, but once the usual crowd had seen to their equines, it was amazing just how many birds were visiting the feeders and also the car park area. The latter included two pairs of wagtails! Pairs of greenfinches and chaffinches kept darting back and forth, as when I sat quietly in the doorway having a cuppa, one pair of grey wagtails came withing 10' of me, and a tiny wren and a hen sparrow even closer! Almost wished I didn't need to come back up here to pack some more parcels and get the post out, it was so peaceful there, despite some heavy showers and it being quite windy.
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Post by Florrie on Nov 16, 2009 17:14:00 GMT 1
sounds much better than working in an office, well at least I get to go home at lunch time
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