Birds in My Garden

December

This month has been a really challenging time for the wildlife. We have been putting out extra food for the birds who have been prepared to take the risk getting it despite being eyed hungrily by four cats. The blackbirds demolished all the leftover windfall apples and I threw a few extras on top of the snow layer to keep them going. I have put out lots of bread and ham fat on the bird table and we have seen a pair of Magpies squeezing on to the table to get it. Also acrobatics from a couple of blackbirds clinging on to the peanut feeder.

Birds in our garden this month include: A pair of Magpies, Jay, Nuthatch, Robin, Wren, Blackbirds, Blue tits, Coal tits, Great tits, Jackdaws, Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Carew

Carew, originally uploaded by beach pixie.

This is Carew, she lives in Bristol. She popped in to visit and came into the house makiing straight away for the Chinese rug where she rolled over and waited to have her tummy tickled. She has a very low- hung tum and is quite an old lady. She comes around to visit for the attention and also to eat the scraps that have been put out for the visiting foxes.

Christmas Baubles

Christmas Baubles, originally uploaded by beach pixie.

Close-up photo of baubles on a small golden Christmas treee.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Street at Dusk

Street at Dusk, originally uploaded by beach pixie.

I sit in the car on this rather featureless street every week while waiting for my son to finish his piano lesson. I was sketching in the cold at dusk as it was getting darker on Friday and the tall hedges, concealed driveways and looming trees started to take on a feeeling of a kind of menace. The arrival around the corner of the man walking his little dog brought it back to a kind of normalcy. The streetlight lit up the tops of the hedges giving them an orange glow. I was drawing for about 20 minutes and by the time I finished it was almost dark and I could hardly see the page.
Wellow, Hampshire UK

Honey and Walter at Christmas

Honey and Walter 1, originally uploaded by beach pixie.

Spent a fun Sunday afternoon trying to take Christmas photos of the cats for our Christmas card. It seemed to be quite a simple task but Walter started playing behind the sheet and nearly pulled it down, then he broke a bauble and frantic sweeping up ensued so as to not cut little paddy paws. Honey just hid and wouldn't cooperate. We managed to get a few good shots of the cats singly but it took three of us, one on each cat, one on camera, handfuls of biscuits and a suspended Christmas toy on a stick to even get past first base. Managed to get some photos with resigned looking cats in the end. The old adage, "Never work with children and animals" comes to mind. The kids were fine though in fact very helpful but Sir Walter and Princess Honeysuckle are a pair of prima donnas !