The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

hedgesparrow

Today is NSD #10! So I reached my target yay! Really pleased I managed it. This challenge was really good for me to keep on top of what was going out of my bank account so thank you to everyone who organises it.

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhhh Kerri what a nightmare (have had similar situations myself unfortunately) - if at all possible, it's best to leave them where they are as the parents should come & feed it but obviously if it's likely to be errrrr not around by morning then it's a really difficult decision.

Not sure whereabouts you are but I phoned the SSPCA last year for advice and they were brilliant - some useful info on here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/health/faqs.aspx

hedgesparrow

kerri_gt wrote: »

Evening all, well I was just about to post when a slight drama unfolded... mamma and papa blackbird (yes the noisey ones from last year) were taking this years fledgling out for what must have been it's first flight. Cue lots of skwaking in the garden and I got out just in time to prevent our cat from getting to said fledgling (with the help of mamma dive bombing said cat). Unfortunately the fledgling is now hiding at the base of the wisteria and won't move despite mamma and papa skwaking away. I think the parents know where he/she is but it's too scared to try flying. Cat has been sent upstairs in disgrace but rather worried that the little fledgling will be left out in the open when it gets dark.... I guess we'll have to take it in, in a shoe box if that happens but not sure if parents will then accept it back if it's gone through the night - and what does one feed a fledgling blackbird in the meantime?


oh, but I did get NSD #15.. which seems a bit unimportant atm

I would leave it. It's parents have a far better chance of saving it than you. I know it's really hard and it goes against all your protective instincts. It's a good sign that the blackbirds are still paying it attention - they haven't given up on the poor little thing yet.

IF

The Jubilant June NSD Challenge - Click here

freebyfifty wrote: »

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
As you can see there is lots of activity on this challenge at the moment and it's difficult sometimes to see how many NSDs you're all declaring on posts.
Could I ask you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that I can see them easily when I whizz through the posts - red would be best but I don't really mind as long as I can see the numbers easily.

Some helpful suggestions and ideas to follow below from our sponsor and godmother, BigMummaF :A

NO SPEND CHALLENGE.

1. Have a good, long think about what YOU want to include in your Spend & Excluded categories.
Some of us count everything from Direct Debits & school expenses, while others do not include things like essential Bills or emergency medical costs. If you plan what is or is not a Spend for you now, it will help you decide on a realistic Target.
2. It is NOT a race!
We all have very different demands on our time & bank balance, so please do not think you have to buy everything on 1st January & make it last till 31st December! A few of us have been following this Challenge for a long...long...LONG time so have developed plans & ploys to help us along the way
3. Most important of all, WE..DO..NOT..FAIL!
Sometimes we can't quite reach our Target, but that is fine Everyone knows how Life will try to trip us up, & that is when you will find us here to help you back on to your feet.

OK, an idea of how some of us do things.
1. What you will or will not include as a 'Spend'.
Some people are doing other Challenges too, & don't include the money spent on those for this one.
Some will try to shop for other bits on the days their direct debits etc go out of their bank accounts; they're the real hard core of the bunch & have been l-o-n-g time Nsders so don't panic
Some won't count those annoying last minute demands from school & collections as you can't plan for them in advance, likewise emergency prescriptions or visits to the vet
Personally speaking & providing I don't buy anything else, I don't count parking for hospital appointments.(..but then I usually do my shopping because I'm already out :whistle:)
General thoughts on €bay sales is the buyer has paid P&P so no cost to you
2. It takes Time to reach mega-numbers!
The First suggestion is the first, because a bit of planning will work wonders on your road to your Target. Have a look at Solvent's (aka Spoon:rotfl:) first posts each month for a hefty list of other Threads that may be of help. For example, there's a few giving ideas for packed lunches so you can avoid standing in the queue at the bakers for 45mins of your lunch hour! A good incentive to tweak your healthy eating & the pounds you save will show in your bank balance AND your waistline
It helps to have various 'money pots' for the different costs that happen like Scouts, dinner money, yoga, window cleaner etc etc. The idea is you "spend" all that money in one hit by..:think:..let's say **putting the week's bus fares into the pretty coffee jar, Jo's tumble tots SIZE=2]Weds mornings[/SIZE in the cracked teapot & Ben's £1 coin for the gym locker SIZE=2]Friday lunch[/SIZE in the pocket of the changing bag, on Tuesdays every week when you've got some change from doing the food shop, so an already spendy day. At least four 'spending days' condensed into one (**mine's jam jars for windows, milkman & a bit towards the bills!)
3. Any day the money stays in your pocket is a bonus!
If you look at it as a day you beat the system, you can't help but :j so don't fret it--ENJOY! If nothing else in here, we do manage find something to make us smile

We have virtual outings to wonderful places that never cost us a bean :rotfl:New York, Edinburgh & Brighton have been a couple & Spoon usually pilots the Tardis but you can use your own transport; my personal favourite has been a sit-on lawn mower borrowed from the cricket club The only thing to be aware of is Hubert the donkey who is partial to anything remotely edible but is not yet house-trained

And Remember;
there are no silly questions, so don't be afraid to ask us anything!

silvasava

kerri gt - leave the baby where it is, just make sure that puss can't get another go at it. DONT be tempted to bring it indoors for safekeeping. My puss is TOO good at catching fledglings but luckily she doesn't know what to do with them once she's caught them. I usually shut her in and in a few hours mum & dad will have come to the rescue. If its a bird's first flight they will be able to withstand the night as they have all their feathers - let us know what happens.

Just popped in to say I've managed to catch 2 NSD's so now I'm up to 13 NSD's - nearly there

butdoineedit?

Awww poor blackbird Kerri, fingers crossed it's ok!

Number 15 for me & target met :j:j

Off to make my pledge for June now!

kerri_gt

Quick update on wee blackbird - it made it down the garden, more hopping and a little flapping, to the patio - then sat panting for a while, before hopping back up the garden, into the wisteria and then behind the shed :eek: mamma and papa seemed to be trying to tempt it with food but it was having none of it.

Did have a quick check round the shed and no sign of it, there's a small gap to next door's garden so I wonder if it hopped into there. It seemed very young to be out of the nest already judging by the complete hash it was making of trying to fly. Mamma and papa seem to have gone in for the night now, I only hope they've got the naughty chick back, or it makes it through the night without getting caught by something as there's a rather powerful and agressive siamese round here too.

Our pud has been on twitcher duty from the upstairs window, looking through the shutters - she's non too plussed about not being allowed out.

Frodobaggins

NSD#15 for me today please.

ModestyB

Very happy to declare NSD 10 today which makes my target reached. Wasn't sure if I'd do it the way money has been trickling away this month.

LittleMissHappy_2

Heres todays round up


freeby - well done for NSD 23 :j:j:j good luck getting your last NSD You can do it!

sf - well done for NSD 15 :j:j:j and target met :beer:

Barbeduk - well done for NSD 10 :j:j:j and target met :beer:

red - well done for NSD17 :j:j:j I’ll keep my fingers crossed for good weather for the weekend

kerri gt - well done for NSD15 :j:j:j hope the chick makes it, keep us updated if you can x

hedge - well done for NSD 10 :j:j:j and target met :beer:

BDINI - well done for NSD 15 :j:j:j and target met :beer:

Frodo - well done for NSD 15 :j:j:j great going, keep going!

Modesty - well done for NSD 10 :j:j:j and target met :beer:

Today was NSD 12 for me and target met - I should have spent but my friend bought me coffee and cake as it is my birthday tomorrow