Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

I was out and about in the garden yesterday making a start on this year's gardening tasks. I finally got my pea netting up (God I hate that task, will have to keep it up this year to save me a job next spring). Planted onions, potatoes and some early carrots whilst being watched over by my cat

Bagheera checking my work

Made plans to have a mini-pond near my veg patch, and a little "Hedgehog Inn". I love my hedgies and put food down for them when they wake up in spring, which incidentally my cat also eats. Problem is the rain, I use a ceramic bowl for them at the moment and the food is bloody expensive so rather than fork out for a special ground feeding tray with the tiny holes in from my pet shop, I came up with the idea of using the rest of the wood from the dog kennel I destroyed as a roof over the bowl, whether or not this works I will have to let you know, pics to follow.

Wooo after all that thinking I have to sit down and have a rest, and as soon as I did "my" robin appeared, no doubt to guzzle up the bugs I've unearthed with all my digging.



Is it safe? Ah, I'll come a bit closer then





This is my best side, work it, work it!



Don't worry by this time Bagheera was safely in the house, and the rest of the birds seem to know too...



Long-tailed Tits



These long-tails are not too timid, getting quite close at times which is nice for me, but not so nice for them if Bagheera manages to catch one! I get the usual collection of birds in my garden: blue, great and coal tits, chaffinch, goldfinch and the occasional greenfinch. Oh, and I can't forget the blackbirds, magpies and house sparrows. Not many birds but a nice variety to watch flitting round the feeders.

Right, back on with the gardening. Pull up a cabbage for mum's dinner tomorrow...

Won't win any prizes but it was my first time growing them, and mum says it was delicious, compliments are always welcome lol. Also dug over two of my three patches...

Then Bagheera heard about the long-tails visit and decide to come and see them for himself. Luckily they were long gone since then.









Old Moor RSPB

I visited Old Moor a good few months ago, and just never got round to putting the photos on here for some reason. Located between Barnsley and Wath, this is a nice place and definitely on my list for this year along with the Peak District and Potteric Carr. Here's a few photos from the day out. I went in July but it was quite a muggy day; still, really enjoyed it :-)

One of the many ponds.

A shockingly bad photo of Little Egret spotted from one of the hides. Quite a number of these around on the day.

Some of the artwork around the reserve.

Something for the kids too. Old Moor's playground.

I also saw a kingfisher (yay!) but just as I loaded the camera ready it flew off. Would have been an amazing click. Loads of lapwing and waders about, also saw my first oystercatchers (I know, I don't get out often). All in all a lovely day, next time I'll take sandwiches and make a picnic day of it.