Living it up by the sea

uralmaid

Been missing in action for a few days. Feeling better but still a bit weak and not 100%.  Got up this morning determined to get things done and was rewarded by being able to watch a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker feeding happily on my nut bird feeder. They are so lovely.  

Nebulous2

uralmaid said:

Been missing in action for a few days. Feeling better but still a bit weak and not 100%.  Got up this morning determined to get things done and was rewarded by being able to watch a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker feeding happily on my nut bird feeder. They are so lovely.  

It's good that you are feeling a bit better.

We often hear woodpeckers, but they aren't so easy to spot.

My wife has downloaded an app which records and identifies bird song. It's wonderful how many birds we have around here that we hear, but rarely see. Our local woods have a lot of blackcaps, it regularly picks up skylarks and yesterday she heard a spotted flycatcher. 

She is getting good at picking out the sounds herself, without the app, me not so much. It's impressive how noisy wrens are, given their small size. 

Humboldt

Good to read that you are recovering @uralmaid.  Thanks for sharing that you saw a lesser spotted woodpecker this morning. It's amazing how nature can lift our spirits.  I was watching a black bird splashing about in the bird bath earlier and I could not help but smile.

@Nebulous2 skylarks are one of my favourites.  They are the background sound to summer picnics in a field of wild flowers.

Enjoy your holiday @bluenose1.

uralmaid

Thanks @Humboldt and  @Nebulous2.  I recently downloaded the Merlin app for birdsong. Never seen a Skylark but would love to. Don't know why but today the birds have all been going mad at the feeders.  The Woodpecker came back at least a dozen times throughout the day. In between the Blue tits and Great tits, Robin, Greenfinch and Sparrows and Dunnocks were all going at it.  The final visitor was the squirrel but for some reason he didn't hang around.   In other news the Munjtacs have been eating the tops off some of my growing plants. What with them and the Badger digging out the plug plants  and digging holes in the back lawn it is a never ending battle.  It is lovely to see them but they do cause problems.

Katiehound

Sounds like you have a wildlife haven, that's definitely a bonus to enjoy.  Lucky bunny (no, guess you don't want any of those!)
My wildlife is a? rat. Rat holes in line with main Victorian drain, could do without that.
 Sorry, but bait blocks out. I really don't want a/any rodents just 6 feet from the kitchen door.

uralmaid

@Katiehound I am with you on rats.  Thank goodness we have only seen one in the last 3 years and down went the bait traps.  In all the time we have been in Lincolnshire we have never had any evidence of a hedgehog in any of our gardens. The same goes for bunnies.  Even though they are abundant in the fields.  We do see lovely large hares in the fields too and in our previous property we had one who we named Harry who used to live up by the first lake.  At our previous property we were plagued with otters. They came to the lake and took lots of fish - leaving them on the banks with a bit hole bitten out of them and sometimes just leaving the head.  Nothing you can do as they are protected.  Same with Badgers.  It is madness as both of these were once in need of protection as numbers were dwindling, but now after a number of years of protection they are breeding like mad and cause a lot of damage, especially to the banks of dykes which are needed here in Lincolnshire.

Clowance

I am green with envy of your wildlife, living in an urban area all we get are seagulls, magpies, pigeons and cats!

uralmaid

@Clowance we used to live in an urban area until 2012 when we decided to take the plunge and move to Lincolnshire as property was so much cheaper.  A lot of people seem to do the same especially in our village. Nearly everyone we have met comes from somewhere other than the village.  I think prices are creeping up though. Although we live about 500 yards from the lane which leads to the sea, we never have seagulls in the garden and hardly ever any magpies, but we have loads of woodpigeons and every cat in the neighbourhood seems to visit our garden when we check our wildlife cameras.  

bluenose1

Hi Uralmaid, rural  life in Lincolnshie must be  lovely. Although where we live is on a residential estate we have a lovely village and train station within 10 minutes walk, a Natural England woods within a 5 minute walk and a beach within 5 minute drive. We moved here 4 years ago and I still feel like I am on my holidays. No seagulls by us but loads of magpies, a bird I definitely dislike.
House prices by us seem to still be increasing, feel sorry for those who are being priced out of buying a house.

uralmaid

@bluenose1. It is lovely but you have to get used to the fact that there aren't the same level of amenities close to hand.  Where you live sounds a good mix.