From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Staffordia

I'm not sure whereabouts you are in the country, but certainly here in the East, we get an influx of European Blackbirds every autumn. A chap who worked at the BTO spent a winter ringing the ones in his mother's garden and discovered they disappeared when spring came.

Greying_Pilgrim

Thanks Staffordia - that's interesting, I hadn't even realised there was a different version, until i saw the one last October.  Even to fly over the North Sea to EA is some feat.  

I did forget to mention an added bonus of stopping to listen with the app was that I am 'looking' more.  yesterday I was rewarded with the sight of 2 angry starlings chasing out a female sparrowhawk that had got too close for their liking.  I have no idea if she was just flying past, or whether she had been hunting.  I heard the starlings, and a blackbird joined in with the alarm call, then the sparrowhawk came flying out between 2 mature trees, with the starlings in pursuit, screeching.  I was able to get - literally - a birds eye view as I was up at LG's bedroom window at the time, and could quite clearly see the brown of sparrowhawk's feathers, and the sheer length of it from beak to tail.  

LG and I were having a listen a little while ago, and whilst we couldn't see it, the app picked up a Goldcrest.  We do have them here, as we've seen them, but I love that we can check they are 'still here'.  

All free fun 😁

Right, best shift a tail feather of mine own!  

Thanks for popping by, lovely to have conversations.

Greying X

kayannie

Love the bird talk! We've been feeding the local bird population & our resident tame male blackbird has now brought his babies (bigger than him now!) to our garden. A couple of days ago, I noticed a male blackbird with missing tail feathers & thought 'our' blackbird had had a near miss with one of our neighbours cats. However, later on a blackbird arrived with feathers intact so we obviously have more than one! 

Walking on the beach last night we came across a dead gannet that had been washed up by the tide. Sad to see, but we were able to appreciate the beautiful bird it had been, with it long pointed beak made for fishing.

KA

Greying_Pilgrim

kayannie said:

Walking on the beach last night ....

***sigh***. Love, "Green with Envy" Greying X

So order from N3xt picked up.  I now think the things may be too big for LG...... sigh.  Invariably I have to buy a different age group anyway, but these are items that have previously sized small, despite the given age, so I went older.  Ah well, we'll have a trying on session and see where that gets us. I'm all for a bit of 'give to grow into', but not if it impairs the functionality of the item.

Blankets are all washed and pegged out.  They should pretty much dry today as they are all predominantly acrylic, and the one with a bit of wool in it isn't the thickest blanket you've ever come across.  

DH has opted to work again tomorrow 🙁pondering whether he still likes us 🤔😂 It's only 'coz he's getting his knickers in a twist about income and what we need to purchase going forward.  We're at that stage with the one car that it's getting costly to maintain, but the alternative is a chunk o'change we don't have - many people are in a similar boat.  Renting a house does have some advantages, and there are times in your life when it's perhaps the only option or the best option, but there's no doubt, it's hindered us with our savings plans/requirements, as we could save little or nothing each month for far longer than we'd anticipated.  Still, this should be the last weekend that DH is working - and who knows, perhaps I'll be able to indulge in my own little 'walk on the beach' before the month is out 😉😁

Must keep in mind that half-term is now only a fortnight away.  The focus will be on having enough money in the grocery budget or food in the freezer to accommodate meals - although there shouldn't be that much difference as such, given LG is on pack-ups rather than school meals.  But also I will have to think about any funds to do things - even if it's a spot of petrol or an admission fee. I'm so glad I can call on CHB, but it's already got calls on it for club/activity fees and new clothes for this particular period.  And yes, of course we will look to do things that cost nowt, but I've one or two options that would require a speck of petrol in the car, at least.  

Greying X

kayannie

We've only had the sea on our doorstep for the last 3 years, before that it was a 3 hour journey away. I'll never take it for granted - it's beautiful, even on a wet & windy day (although a sunny day is best!).
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

kayannie - I'm sure there is beauty whatever the weather.  I love how the coastline is so varied all around the UK.  

Lovely start to the day with us.  The birds are singing away.  I've been playing 'beat the app' to try to identify birds before they flash up - I'm getting reasonable with the 'easy' ones 😁  Although I got Canada Geese long before the app said they were flying overhead 😁

We ended up with burgers and chips for tea last night.  Not inventive, but quick and easy.  

I should do some cooking today. We may go for a small wander tomorrow and will need a slice of cake to accompany.  

A wash is on with whites.  They are particularly grubby, so I've not much hope of them coming up pristine.  The blankets dried wonderfully yesterday, so they have been put away until autumn now.  

DH is off to work.  

EDIT - forgot to add that the clothes weren't "silly big" on LG, so we will keep them and they will allow for growth.  But I do wish there was more standardization in clothing.  

Can't think of anything else to add, that is on an MSE vibe.

Greying X

rtandon27

Those geese are a noisy lot!😆

EssexHebridean

If you want a bird with a truly impressive migration, then try the Red Necked Phalarope. These are tiny little waders, and each year a few make it to the U.K. - in fact they are a bird we are sometimes lucky enough to see when we are in the Hebrides at the right time. For years they assumed they migrated from Africa - still quite a feat for such a tiny bird. Then finally technology advanced to give a tracker small enough to be fitted to them - and the migration was tracked to try to work out where in Africa it was they came from…and to everyone’s utter astonishment, they started flying in a completely different direction…and actually ended up in….PERU! Just completely amazing! 

Kayannie I am so with you about the beauty of the sea and coast. Totally different on a wild, grey day to a beautiful blue skies summer one, but still beautiful, regardless! 

Staffordia

EH, I think that the arctic terns beat the Red Necked Phalarope, as they migrate from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle—a round-trip journey of about 30,000 kilometers, 18641 miles!

However the Phalarope is one of the few species that leaves all of the chick rearing to the males. It's still missing from my list as I failed to see one in Shetland. 

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 said:

Those geese are a noisy lot!😆

🤣 They're used to hollering across wide-open spaces, love.  Gotta get yerself heard! 😂

Staffordia said:

....However the Phalarope is one of the few species that leaves all of the chick rearing to the males.....

I like Mrs Phalarope's style!  Plus I read that it is the female that has the more attractive/catching plumage than the male - in a world of LBB's, this is one development I'd like to hear more often 😁

EH - have you seen them feeding?  Again - I only read this - that they swirl around like a giddy-kipper to stir up food from below the surface of low lying water.  What with them whirling around and the Artic Terns going down and up, and up and down - it's making me...... 'Dizzy'.

Douze points to Greying for crow-barring in a Eurovision reference!  YAY! 🤣

[I blame the warm weather.......😂]

Greying X