GREY WAGTAILS

Ever since we moved up here, almost six years ago, there have been a pair of Grey Wagtails who visit the stream at the bottom of the drive every year. They have eluded my camera until today and, although they are not the greatest pictures I've ever taken, I'm so excited to have captured them at last. Perhaps next time I'll do better. The male is above and below:

I think this is the female hiding amongst the Rhododendron leaves:

The Coal Tit is back for the first time this year - a great day for birds:

Somebody needs a bib:

Somebody is too scared to come to the feeder when I'm at the window:

The Nuthatches always look happier upside down:

Look who we caught in a drawer in the utility room. It had been looking for bedding and shredding cardboard in there. This drawer is the only place we've ever had a rodent problem and it had no fear of us whatsoever, calmly sitting eating Kitkat. 

 

We've had some stunning sunsets recently:

The Easter holidays are in full swing, hence a lack of regular posting. Today OB went to a friend and I was actually able to go for a good walk with the dogs. I saw my first caterpillar of the year; a Drinker Moth I think: 

The dogs were particularly mad and fighty............

A quick break from the action with a gorgeous Meadow Pippet:

Where's Snippet?

Spotted him........

 Calm for a second.........

............but not for long.

I tried the Panorama function on the camera today. Not a great format for blogging but if you click on them you might get a better version. Jack and Snippet are in both but Snip has gone a bit 'Where's Wally' on us:

I had a big blog visiting session today but it's not easy at the moment with the OB's social whirl, so apologies if I'm missing out a bit. I'm trying to fit in my mum as well - I'll talk about that another time. Chronic anxiety is crippling her at the moment and I'm at a loss as to what to do for the best. Anyway, I hope your week is going well and that you all had a great weekend. Until next time, here are those dogs looking ridiculous with their snarly teeth. 

HAPPY MOSS AND THEN THERE WERE TWO

There are now two regular coal tit visitors. Unfortunately they are fierce rivals, are constantly seeing each other off and consequently can never be photographed together. It's lovely to have their numbers expanding; perhaps there will be three soon. 

Waiting its turn at the feeder

I've noticed the moss over the moor is looking particularly happy after all the rain; I'm glad something is. I've had to fence a section of Trigger's very small paddock off to see if it can recover for a few weeks. I'm sure any of you with horses will be having the same problems. Here are a few mossy and licheny (I'm getting a big wavy red line under that, not surprisingly!) pictures:

On the gate into our garden, this miniature garden has appeared....

Yellow Brain Fungus looking particularly bright yellow.....

And the first flower of the year....some very early flowering gorse, smelling strongly of coconut (or Hawaiian Tropic sun tan lotion....I wonder if they make it any more?). 

We have a very clever sparrow in the flock, who has learnt how to hang onto the peanut feeder. He's the only one who can do it so far. Others watch but don't follow. Perhaps they will in time. 

On our way back from a trip to Exeter to buy Origami boy yet more shoes yesterday, the cloud formation was very strange. I haven't been on an plane since 1998 but this is what I remember looking out at from the windows, which is a bit strange given we were on the ground.

And I'll leave you with a few gorsey Snippet pictures. I'm sure his coat has evolved in his three and a half years on the planet so as to allow him to access gorse without pain and cope with his first two incredibly snowy winters. Have as pleasant a Monday as possible!

A COAL TIT AND SNIPPET DOWN A HOLE

Since we moved here over four years ago, I've been hoping to see coal tits. Where we lived in Chagford in the town, we had lots visiting the garden, but I've never seen them up here until a few days ago. Just the one, but that will do. They are so sweet. It's been very timid and comes VERY low in the pecking order; below even the blue tits. All the other peanut feeders eat the porridge too but this little character doesn't do so yet. Let's hope he or she is a regular visitor.

The rain is getting pretty depressing. I've never seen it quite so bad up here, with every inch of ground rushing with water. Trigger's field, despite me putting back divots on a daily basis and his lack of shoes, is turning into a mud bath. We should count ourselves lucky the water isn't yet entering the house. I pity anyone lower down the river as I don't see how flooding can be avoided. It's set to continue tomorrow so many people are going to be in trouble for Christmas.Here are two ponies trying desperately to shelter. The wind is pretty horrendous too.

A couple of days ago, when we had a dry day, Snippet and I walked over towards the delightful Fernworthy Forest where there is an abandoned badger set. I walked on while Snippet sniffed around and only looked back a couple of minutes later. He had disappeared. After some shouting and whistling to no avail, I ran back to find the tiniest tip of tail poking out of one of the holes. It took him some time to get himself out and I was worried I might have to traipse home for a shovel to dig him out. These three are from an earlier hole. I should have known not to leave him really.

Nearly gone!

What I think are Fieldfare. They look like big Thrush on the ground if you can get anywhere near them. They usually take off  as a flock and are gone in seconds, hence blurriness! The next two pictures are from the other herd, who seem to be gravitating to this area and mixing with our herd. The coloured pony is the one who was so friendly with me in the summer.

These two are of a misty lunchtime before more heavy rain!

Strange stripy dawn sky

And a few from the bird feeding area.....

The lovely pecker Nuthatch

Fabulous colours on the back of this Magpie's tail

The Sparrows waiting their turn for the porridge

Not the best looking Sparrow!

Nuthatch leaving the feeder at speed

We have a huge amount of military air traffic going over us what with the firing ranges being so close at Okehampton. The helicopters sometimes fly right over the house which is quite frightening if you don't see them coming. There are far fewer jets than there used to be due to base closures in Cornwall. When I was about 10 or 11, I thought I wanted to be a fighter pilot and would do meticulous drawings of the jets of the time. In those days, they didn't accept women and I really didn't understand the true implications of what the job would entail at that age! Now, despite the enormous misgivings about their role, I still get a thrill as they go over. If I had signed up, I would have been pensioned off pretty quickly with my type 1 diabetes that came on very late, and bone density issues. Not a very suitable candidate at all! I saw this helicopter the other day:

Origami Boy's party was a great success. Just the four of them but it's amazing the chaos four eight year old boys can cause. I splashed out on this little cardboard tree from Paperchase for the occasion. I think it's gorgeous and it will last for years.

Last Monday, I took my Mum to Carluccio's in Exeter after a stroll round the new John Lewis which opened last month. Having been brought up in North London, we spent a lot of time in Jones Brothers on the Holloway Road, now long gone, so John Lewis has a special place in my heart. Rarely actually buy anything but it's a childhood comfort thing. Carluccio's is a piece of mild sophistication that Exeter lacked until the last few years. It was a desert when we first got here, with nowhere to go to eat between chain places and the extremely expensive. We bought this gorgeous biscuit for Origami Boy. Stunning and delicious!

Only three more days to go before the true seediness of the Christmas tree bucket is revealed once the presents have gone. The tissue paper I've wrapped around it isn't going to cut it I'm afraid. Perhaps some strategically placed fruit might do the trick?......until next time, a wet Snippet hoping  for a place on the sofa. I don't think so!