Hi Annie
You’re so right about all the craziness in the world! Just as well there other things to distract us.
That is so funny, you out in the rain catching all the water! But, as you say, must have been lovely after all the hot weather. I think you definitely need some water butts! I’ve had one on, just one side of the shed (only 6′ by 8′) for years and it collects an amazing amount of water. Now I have an overflow butt there as well! There are four more on the house, although smaller ones. I’ve recently moved one round to the front where there is a longer section of guttering. It filled about ¾ full after the nice bit of rain we had, but is nearly empty again already! (Some water companies sell them at reduced prices. They have water diverters, so if the butt is full, the water just goes down the pipe).
The sparrows have been nesting in my roof for years, but don’t seem to cause too much trouble. They do make a bit of a mess in the guttering, but I have a bit of scrunched up wire netting in the top of the downpipe which helps stop too much going down. I find there is more of a problem from moss falling off the roof! Maybe you could ask your window cleaner to just clear that bit out a bit more often? Having said that, my guttering is in short stretches, so maybe it’s easier.
Re. sticks in the border. I have a pole in the front garden where a bird table used to be (years ago). The pole has since has become a favourite perch, even now when the bushes have grown up beside it. Brilliant idea using old walking sticks!
I bet the birds are loving your evening primroses. They seem to come and go a bit in my garden. Some years there are loads, but this year not so many. I wonder if they’re biennial like foxgloves? That might explain it. I love the way you can actually watch the seed pod suddenly bouncing open and spraying the seeds all around.
Very quiet here, on the hog front. Digger’s been missing for over a week now. Just hope it’s hoglet related. The early bird hog still hasn’t been back, so fear she may not return again. Otherwise mostly just Splash (the new small one) and Horace. One night I spotted a new hoglet exploring, but it didn’t find the food and, sadly, hasn’t been back since. But at least there is one around, which is good.
Before she disappeared, Digger seemed to have decided that her venerable age gives her permission to behave in an autocratic manner. One night Splash was eating from one of the bowls when Digger arrived. Digger strode up to Splash’s bowl and nudged Splash peremptorily out of the way, whereupon Splash retreated and semi-curled up, looking for all the world as if she was bowing! Another night, Digger was eating when Splash arrived. Splash just stood there and waited until the bowl was just about empty. Then Digger, leaving Splash to pick up the ‘crumbs’ from around it, moved to another bowl!
I wonder what the sleeping hogs in the feed box (Splash and Horace still taking it in turns) make of the mob of starlings who descend, nearby, in the early morning to finish off the hog food. This morning I spotted that one of the youngsters (half and half plumage) only has one leg. It was managing amazingly well (when you consider how much they normally use their two legs) and only very occasionally put it’s wing out for added support. I even saw it amongst the crowd after the whole mob had descended.
The strange luminous round thing which I have been seeing, on video hovering over the bushes, appeared right in front of the camera recently. It just looks like a luminous pompom! I couldn’t make out any wings or head or tail. Then it just wafted out of view. Still no idea what it is. Very mysterious!
