Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

SingleSue

carolt wrote: »

Who's off to bed early, tonight?

Am absolutely shattered after late night last night...

Not me!

It helps being an insomniac.......I'll feel it more tomorrow.

treliac

Davesnave wrote: »

I forgot to post that the robins which we discovered as eggs on 5th April, in a pile of flowerpots in the barn, flew on 2nd May. They chose a good spot, as DD was able to make it cat proof relatively easily, and the babies couldn't get out until their flying power enabled them to clear the 8' wall at the rear.

We lost at least 3 robins to the hard winter. Nature has already restored the balance.:)

Our resident robin paired up and started building a nest a couple of weeks ago. Then they disappeared after a couple of days . One has been seen maybe every other day since but no more nest building. Now, today, there are two in the garden again but I've not seen evidence of them nesting.

We did have a family of goldfinches on the lawn this morning, which was exciting too.

Davesnave

treliac wrote: »

Our resident robin paired up and started building a nest a couple of weeks ago. Then they disappeared after a couple of days . One has been seen maybe every other day since but no more nest building. Now, today, there are two in the garden again but I've not seen evidence of them nesting.

We did have a family of goldfinches on the lawn this morning, which was exciting too.

The babies are still around, in the elm hedge. Mum & Dad are still working overtime feeding them too! There's baby blackbirds in there as well.

As for goldfinches, we have around 6 to 8 of them around. They can be encouraged by putting niger seed into feeder mixes. Like most other species, they have to dodge around the aggressive greenfinches to feed. Whatever is dropped tends to be mopped-up by sparrows and dunnocks. At some point in the day, Mrs Pheasant appears too and does much the same job, while Mr Pheasant stands guard. As I've said before, my cats aren't keen on him!

At present, we have an on-going battle with a jackdaw, which is trashing the fat balls, as fast as we can put them out. We are trying different methods of hanging them, and it is working out ways around our security methods. :mad: No squirrels here, fortunately.

carolt

Any chance of pics, davesnave?

Baby robins and blackbirds - awww.


BTW, my son said yesterday he would like a pet squirrel.

lostinrates

If we are back to birds:

the chick who hurt her wing is amazingly better. She had to be separated (we put a small gerbil cage in the big dog cage) from the others for her own protection...but only or about a day...she was happily reintegrated with her brothers and sisters. The wing is strong and she's moving it well, it has a very slight drop : ( I think most people wouldn't notice unless it were pointed out to them....but she is ''chirpy'' and happy and bold still.

Davesnave

carolt wrote: »

Any chance of pics, davesnave?

Baby robins and blackbirds - awww.


BTW, my son said yesterday he would like a pet squirrel.

Will try. Drizzling ATM and we are out tomorrow, flogging plants, but I will see what I can do if they are still around Monday.;)

Pet squirrel?!? Rats with big eyes and bushy tails...

tomterm8

Spring watch: 4th and final lamb born. Nice, easy birth. No problems to report. Don't have to bottle feed him. Yay.

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

Spring watch: 4th and final lamb born. Nice, easy birth. No problems to report. Don't have to bottle feed him. Yay.

Congratulations! ''He'' certainly sounds like supper not flak enlargement!

tomterm8

We've no plans to enlarge our flock... all the lambs we have this year will be supper, or more likely sold off. Hebs are in demand for conservation grazing... that's where the market is. And they particularly like boys who've been 'done', since conservation flocks are run by part timers they often don't like hastle of breeding... they buy weaned lambs in, and keep them til they die.

The meat is OK, I like it, but too strong for most peoples taste... They used to be used for milk production, and that's a commercial option still (you need half as much sheep milk to make a pound of cheese, and you can sell it for considerably more than normal cheese) BUT to be honest that's too much work for us.

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

We've no plans to enlarge our flock... all the lambs we have this year will be supper, or more likely sold off. Hebs are in demand for conservation grazing... that's where the market is. And they particularly like boys who've been 'done', since conservation flocks are run by part timers they often don't like hastle of breeding... they buy weaned lambs in, and keep them til they die.

The meat is OK, I like it, but too strong for most peoples taste... They used to be used for milk production, and that's a commercial option still (you need half as much sheep milk to make a pound of cheese, and you can sell it for considerably more than normal cheese) BUT to be honest that's too much work for us.

I think I've eaten hebridean...or maybe not, maybe I'm confusing memories with Shetland which I certainly remember. Gamey, v. dark? I liked it. Not ''lamb'' as we know it. But I like mutton too.....I just can't find any anymore. I love sheep...while I'm eating them