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Post by Ann on Mar 27, 2002 1:09:11 GMT
For many years now, I've fed the local blackbirds. At any given time I have one or two that are tame enough to eat raisins out of my hand and they fly down and whistle to get my attention whenever they feel hungry - numerous times every day. This winter, a robin has joined them. When I come downstairs every morning, I'm greeted by 2 hungry cats pointing to their empty bowl and 4 or 5 blackbirds and a robin lined up on the wall pointing to an empty patio. I got this picture of one of the blackbirds this afternoon when he came to the front door to tell me it was lunchtime. He's no more than 2' - 3' from the front door.  Luckily Spock isn't interested in birds. It's quite odd to see a blackbird and Spock, just a few feet away from each other, both totally unconcerned. Dracs would like to catch them, but is too scared to go outside and chase them. One of my Christmas presents was a mini greenhouse. For those of you who haven't seen one, here it is.  Every morning I go and check to see how the seeds in there are doing and if any more have germinated. Imagine my surprise, when I opened the front up today and out flew the robin. My guess is he got under it looking for a stray raisin, then couldn't find his way out again. He'd caused havoc with my seedlings. So I have Dracs vandalising my indoor plants and a robin vandalising the outdoor ones! Ann |
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Post by Lesley on Mar 27, 2002 4:13:07 GMT
 these photos are current?? we have approx. 10cm of snow! no blooms, no seedlings, no buds! nothing. okay, i have 2 weeks of this @!!**% left before i move the land of eternal spring. but gee whiz ann your killing me!!! just kidding, i really like the mini green house. we are suppose to thaw out here by the end of the week. and a few days prior to this snowy mess; i did see the tiny tips of the tulips poking through. i hope they make it! lesley
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Post by Miles on Mar 27, 2002 11:44:28 GMT
HEY.....NO FAIR...!! I see green things....and flowers.....!!! We're still waiting for the snow to melt....!!! ~sigh.....~....  Miles |
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Post by Ann on Mar 28, 2002 18:38:46 GMT
The weather's been glorious here for the past 3 days. When Webphotos gets itself sorted out, I'll add a picture I took yesterday at the front of my house.
Ann
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Post by Ann on Mar 30, 2002 1:33:08 GMT
This picture was taken on Wednesday when I spent the day with the family friend who you can see in it. It's the front of my house, but it doesn't really do the flowers justice. Behind the little patch of garden is my front patio. It's extremely sheltered and one neighbour was actually sunbathing yesterday! I washed my patio furniture yesterday and the car today, so we're now due a month of storms.  This one's a bit better, it was taken a couple of days later.  Ann |
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Post by jcobbold on Mar 30, 2002 15:24:37 GMT
Spring has arrived here. Gyps & Tim were in the garden yesterday morning, "helping" me clear out the pond. They don't catch birds very often, prefering rodents.
Gyps was fascinated by the tadpoles in the pond, when we all heard a mewing sound in the sky. 5 buzzards were soaring over the garden.
Two cats inside the house.
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Post by Ann on Apr 1, 2002 14:07:12 GMT
John,
Yes, I imagine 5 buzzards would do it every time! Can't imagine what the boys would make of them, a leaf rustling two streets away is enough to send Dracs scurrying indoors!
Ann
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Post by topaz on Apr 1, 2002 14:31:23 GMT
I loved the mini greenhouse Ann, made me smile  Do you have a miniature wheel-barrow and red wellies to go with it? I've never heard of blackbird hand feeding before. We have loads of them nesting in our garden. Sadly a blue-tit flew into our patio door the other day. I cradled it in my hands still warm and thought of the cruelty of fate. A winter spent fighting to stay alive and the first warm day of spring brings death. How fickle life is. |
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sass
Territory Seeker
Posts: 52
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Post by sass on Apr 1, 2002 14:40:21 GMT
Spring is here in London too. The weather has been lovely and we've been out adniring all the blossoms on the trees. Wish we had a garden though.
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Post by Ann on Apr 1, 2002 15:28:37 GMT
Topaz, They're quite easy to tame and LOVE raisins. I get down on my knees, just inside the front door and stretch my hand out flat onto the patio and keep very still. Once they've plucked up courage the first time, they're fine. One year (after Alexander and before Spock and Dracs), I had a female who would actually come inside the house. She'd see me in the kitchen, which is at the front of my house, hop in through the front door until she was level with the kitchen door and then chirrup gently until she got my attention. As soon as she saw I'd noticed her and was getting her some raisins, she'd hop back out again. A male tried it once too, but he forgot to stay lined up with the front door and couldn't find his way back out again. We had a fraught couple of minutes until I opened the back patio door as wide as I could and he flew out, none the worse for his experience. This picture was taken last year and is one of the blackbirds in the back patio, perched on the garden seat which is close to the window, trying to get my attention.  Ann |
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Post by Lesley on Apr 1, 2002 22:53:48 GMT
ann, the garden pix are lovely! of course i'm most envious. we are still at the everything is brown stage (except for the giant pussy willow in the back yard - those things will survive any winter).
the blackbirds are interesting; quite brave to come up to humans.- i don't think we get them here at all. although, my bird knowledge is very limited.
i can recognize about 3 or 4 kinds of birds only!
thanks for sharing the garden pictures. i will be waiting for signs of spring here. maybe in a few more weeks!
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Post by Miles on Apr 2, 2002 11:39:45 GMT
Lovely garden shots, Ann.... ! Unfortunately we're still at least 2-3 wks away from that point around here...all the snow has finally melted, and I can see faint traces of green just beginning to appear.... Miles |
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Post by Ann on Apr 2, 2002 12:10:24 GMT
Miles,
We're back to normal again here - cool and cloudy. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted!
Ann
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Post by topaz on Apr 2, 2002 14:58:52 GMT
One of the strange things I have noticed in my many years working at airports are the number of times homing pigeons have landed close to our office.
They usually arrive exhausted and confused and have to be collected by their owners. Maybe they see these strange metallic birds arriving and leaving and think there is a source of food!
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Post by Lesley on Apr 2, 2002 18:26:15 GMT
well. no buds, no blooms, more snow. oh 'they' said 2 - 4 cm. 'they' lied. there is currently 12cm of heavy wet, crushing anything that might have been growing, snow. and of course no sign of stopping. however, when i stop crying (here in my snowy prison); i'll remember i have only 8 days left until our move to the lovely west coast. where at least they have the smarts to have a proper spring. crying frozen tears in canada lesley |
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