New Visitor!

Had a new visitor to the back garden last night - a badger! I was quietly watching Peanut demolish the chopped apple I'd thrown out (yep he's still around!) and less than a minute after he left, along comes a badger.
This is quite a big deal for me as it's the first time I've ever seen a live badger so I was quite excited!
I'll make sure I'm watching at the same time tonight and try to get photos, don't want to scare him off though, hmmm will have to think of a name for him (or her) - watch this space!!

Peanut

I have researched a bit regarding foxes, thanks to National Fox Welfare Society (www.nfws.org.uk) and, now that the cubs are almost full grown, they are starting to break up from the family.
Maybe this is why Peanut and his sibling haven't been down during the day, maybe they are starting to adopt the adults methods i.e. foraging at night.
I'm assuming that Peanut will soon be chased off this territory to make way for new cubs next year.
In the meantime, though, I'll keep putting out the food and hope that I catch at least one more glimpse of him before he leaves....maybe he'll even let me take one last photo?

Gunfire!

I awoke to the sound of machine guns this morning! No, war hadn't broken out overnight.....the noise was from 6 Magpies "shooting" at each other! This is fine at 7.45am on an ordinary week day when I have to get up for work but on a Sunday morning - I am not impressed!

Then you hear the sweet melodic tune from the tiny Wren and all is forgiven!
I am sure all birds in my back garden are conspiring against me....I sit and watch with my camera at the ready for hours and........nothing!
As soon as I put my camera down every bird in the wood appears. It's like the old Kit Kat advert with the dancing Pandas in the zoo!
Yesterday the Long Tailed Tit came back and fed from the nut feeder.....until I focused on it with my camera. Also saw a small flash of colour darting between the bushes - it finally landed on the big Oak tree outside the bedroom window and I realised it was our first Goldcrest, cute little thing and again flew off before I could reach for the camera. I could almost hear laughter from the Rooks and Jackdaws above!
On a more serious note, I haven't seen Peanut (the foxcub) for about 3 nights now, I'm still putting out food for him and it's always gone the next morning, but I suppose that could be anything eating it. Fingers crossed nothing bad has happened to him.

The Onset of Autumn

Yesterday had a definite autumnal feel to it, grey and cold - every time a bird landed in the trees, leaves or twigs came falling to the floor.

I think the birds also felt it being as they never left the fat ball & nut feeders all day - it's costing me a fortune! There was a flurry of excitement as all of the Tits (Blue, Great & Coal) were battling it out for the nuts - have to say the winner was a bit of a surprise........it was a Chaffinch! I didn't think they even went on the nut feeders.

The 2 Dunnocks were positioned underneath the feeders picking up any bits that fell.

I was quietly watching the Willow Warbler pick insects off the leaves of the Oak tree when 3 Long Tailed Tits appeared! They waited in the ferns for their turn on the feeder but it never came and they flew off before sampling the food. I'm hoping that once the colder weather arrives, they will become regular visitors.

Jackdaw

Had 3 Jackdaws on the fat ball feeder today (2 adults & 1 juvenile) - actually looked quite comical seeing these huge birds trying to cling on to the small bars!

Will cost me a fortune in fat balls though, they've already munched their way through 2 before the Coal Tits mobbed them!

Also saw 1 Long Tailed Tit waiting in the ferns behind the nut feeder - it didn't stay for long but hopefully it will be back with it's gang soon. This is the first one we've had in the garden so, fingers crossed, they may become regular visitors in the winter.

Peanut the Foxcub

We're lucky to have 2 Foxcubs visit us every evening. One of them, the dog, we've named Peanut as this is what he loves to eat!

He comes at 6pm (on the dot) every day and sits quietly waiting for us to throw food up to him. He actually looks annoyed if we're late but he soon forgives us as he munches on chopped apple and dog biscuits!
His sister comes later on in the evening and is very wary, running off as soon as she sees us. Peanut just watches us whilst noisily crunching.

Visitors to our back garden

We've been lucky enough to have family of 5 Jays visit every day since June, the juveniles are quite cute and inquisitive, although still wary. They are very noisy though and tend to scare off the smaller birds...still not everyone is lucky enough to see one of our most beautiful birds close up so can't complain!

We have the usual array of Blue, Coal and Great Tits fighting amongst themselves and chasing each other, I honestly don't know where they get their energy from!

Flock of 9 Chaffinches have started visiting us, they're treating us like a take-away restaurant! Have to refill the feeders every day, even the Woodmouse is making the most of any seed the Chaffinches drop and is filling it's little pouch up with as much as it can!


The Robin has started singing it's territorial song at the top of the tree every day now, I guess that means he will start chasing away the juveniles soon.