The robins fly past

Just leaving spring and coming into summer. Consider what a year this is - the start of summer, very often a blue sky and the sun beaming down on us - and then the clouds head in on the wind and the snow arrives ahead. Not what you would expect at this time of year, certainly not what I expect but it's been going on for a day or two now and I'm asking myself how much longer this will go on. Will we actually see summer or will the weather skip by, passing autumn as well and bring in winter before we can blink.

Last year I planted Scots Pine and it was a lovely year but despite all the care and attention they passed away, every single one of them. The Austrian Pine are in this year and really looking good - will they make it, will they survive, will the year-long snow be more natural for them? Hopefully, I'll get the right answer.

And the food for the birds, a small mistake there I here you say. Well, I think that you're right. The sparrows continue to pick at it but that is all they are doing I'm afraid, they pick at it, they play with it and they get bored or hungry and then move on. The robins fly past now, on their way to wherever is more interesting. I'll think about this and do what I can for them.

Perhaps they will stop in passing.

Perhaps Shetland will warm up a little ;))

Heartbroken

I'm utterly heartbroken. Utterly, utterly, utterly heartbroken. I was sitting in the living-room, watching two really beautiful robins having lunch on the lawn when suddenly they jumped into the next-door neighbours garden without even saying thank you. Can you believe it?

Well, boo to them. The sun has come out at last so I think that it's time for a can of coke, enjoyed in the sun outside - and they'll have to chase the sparrows before they get any of the grub that's there for them ;))

Bad hair day

It's definitely a bad hair day today.

Woke up at a decent time this morning, seven o'clock or so. Straight down the stairs to get the kettle on - after all, one does what one has to ;)) Computer on immediately and half an hour spent waking up.

Then, first job - print the address on an envelope. It's now quarter past eleven and the envelope job is done. That's not bad, three and a quarter hours to address an envelope.

I do have a form to deal with - thank goodness I can use a pen on this one, safer that way I think.

After that has been done I think that I'll go into the garden and deal with my birds.

Quite amazing how many birds are hanging around a fifty year old guy. Must be the way that I get my hair cut, or not cut, as the case may be :))

He's up on top, protecting his food

When I got home tonight I went out and watered the new trees and spotted him on top of the post that holds the bird feeder. He was there for one reason only - to make sure that no other bird could move in and grab the grub. He surprised me by staying on top of his post as I watered the tree that was growing just beside him.

These wee sparrows can be brave little buggers. It's either that or he's just getting used to being around me. They do get to like the folk that feed them.

The sparrows have taken over the world

On Saturday my world was getting on normally and the birds were getting used to me slowly. Now that I'm back, things have changed.

The sparrows seem to have taken over the bird feeder. They are around all the time at the moment so they must be enjoying the food that is out for them. The robins do occasionally stop as they pass by but now they are only visitors, my back garden is a real sparrow house now.

Will it last, who will take over next  - we'll wait and see :))

I'm delighted

Oh magic, I'm absolutely delighted. I had run out of bird food so my wee flying friends stopped coming around to say "Hello, have you filled our feeder yet?" but today a big bag of it arrived. I promptly filled the feeder!!!

It has been about ten minutes since it was filled and the robins are so chuffed. There are a couple of sparrows, well, I've just looked out again and they are not so keen.

This is summer feed and it has been winter feed that I've been putting out for the last six weeks or so. This time of year I expected them to change their choice as the flowers and plants started to show their faces. They have been in and had a poke around and then buzzed off.

Perhaps they had found some earlier and had eaten then came around just to see what was on offer today.

Fingers crossed, eh ;))

They're getting to know all about it

The robins are getting to know where the food is and they are also getting used to me having a cup of coffee in the living room as well - and all so quickly too.

Now, they take no notice of me, they just get stuck in, scaring away the little sparrows as they go about their breakfast, lunch or tea.

I'm surprised too. Along with this feeder I bought winter food, expecting it to arrive after the summer stuff. It really doesn't seem to have mattered to them though. Having said that though, when the summer order does arrive it will be put away for a month or so. Timing of the seasons here in Shetland does run a bit late, in fact it runs a bit confused at times so I'll be a bit more careful in the future.

In fact, I may make sure that both are out at the same time and then we'll perhaps find out whether it's winter or summer. A bit of confusion here I think. Where have Spring and Autumn gone. They might be around for a short spell, I suppose ;))

Crivens

Jings crivens, if the wife had seen so many birds smiling in the back garden before she left, she'd have given me a bloody good slap in the face and legged it up the street - with me waving and shouting "Goodbye now, remember and write!!!" The birds love the food that's out for them so now I can tell everyone that I can cook after all ;))

It's a beautiful morning today, the sun is beaming in a nice blue sky and there's hardly a breeze blowing at all this morning. Fingers crossed that it won't change for a month or three.

And I've just spotted that the birds are not too sure of me yet. They fly up to the feeder but if I'm sitting here then they turn and fly off again. Hopefully, it won't take them too long to get used to me. The wife was quick enough.

It's Robin's and sparrow's that have been around, lovely and fit and I believe that the Robin's used to be considered to be part of the Thrush family, but that has changed now. They are now considered to be Old World flycatchers. Why the change, I've no idea, maybe it's because of the time that they spend in my back garden :))

That's the feeder up

I'.m quite pleased. That's the feeder up now and there's a seagull in the field, pretending not to look at the feeder. He'll be interested because it's new to him but I doubt if he'll use it.

Just as I write this a sparrow has arrived and is sitting on the washing line, peeking at it. There were two of them but I don't know where the other went.

I think that I'll try and find out.