CUCKOO BABY

         

Look who I saw today on my way home in a grump about wet feet and failure to photograph any of the tens of damselflies I had been stumbling about chasing around a small patch of marsh. I'm assuming the two small birds fluttering around with it were the surrogate parents and the cuckoo was certainly squawking at them a lot. Not absolutely sure what they are as they were so far away; not even blowing up the picture can produce an absolute identification, but I suspect they are Meadow Pipits, poor things. I never expected to see this spectacle for real. Apologies for the quality of the photo!

Some other birds over the weekend:

Dancing Siskin juvenile

Grumpy looking Blackbird Juvenile

Evil looking Blue Tit with porridge nose and some more....

Over the weekend, we dropped a friend of OB's back at a 'Family Fun Day' in the village of Drewsteignton. It was not a huge affair and was somewhat lacking in self publicity. When I saw the entrance I had to laugh at its low key approach - irresistible I'm sure you'll agree:

We found this lovely frog under a tarpaulin covering some off-cuts of wood:

Two more lovely hardy geraniums are flowering in the garden:

Geranium Splish-Splash

Not sure what this one is but I love its subtle reddish purple veins and deep cut leaves

Trigger is much, much better and looking fabulously shiny in the sun. On average I'm removing two ticks from him and Snippet every day; I'm fast becoming an expert with the tweezers and the anti-clockwise twist.

The Madams aren't looking too bad either:

A few more pictures from the weekend....

As you can see from the picture above, all the foals are changing colour. Not a great look for this little one who looks like he has a serious skin condition. 

It's the school sports day tomorrow. Sport is not Origami Boy's thing. Maths, yes, but there are no prizes - no glory for maths. Usually he dreads this day but, when he got home tonight, he had the fantastic news that he is one of only two boys from his year to qualify for the high jump. Every year, he comes almost last in the sprint and feels a bit downhearted so he's absolutely delighted to have beaten all the sports stars in the school. We're really proud of him although, secretly, I'm really pleased maths is his biggest strength. Shhhhh. 

Until next time, here's a windy Snippet. 

THUNDER AND REPTILES

On Saturday, we were struck by lightening and have had no phone and intermittent internet connection. I haven’t read anyone’s blogs and am writing this in ‘Word’ because I can’t connect when I want to. Better to cut and paste later. If I don’t reply to any comments, it’s because I can’t! Builders are back this week to finish off in the kitchen and the drain men are coming again to see if they can locate the source of the damp that caused the rot. Nice week ahead then. At least Sunday was passable and we had two reptilian encounters in the garden. Firstly, this lovely little palmate newt hiding behind all the rubble bags that have accumulated during the removal of the kitchen; those tiny webbed feet are so beautiful. Then, later on, whilst hacking down my lovely but weather-beaten geraniums in the hope of a second go, I spotted this common frog hiding amongst the stalks. I thought it was a toad at first, but having examined the photo more closely, I think those leg bars give it away; that and the fact that it was definitely leaping as opposed to walking. 

On Friday, Snippet and I trudged out in the pouring rain down into the little valley that takes the stream down to the main river about half a mile downstream. I hoped to avoid the howling wind and horizontal rain, opting for the vertical but hammering variety. It was hideous but we saw an amazing fallen beech branch which blocked our progress. It was the size of a full grown tree and my partner has his eye on it for future fuel. Unfortunately, Trigger would have to take a crash course in logging to get any of it out and given his hind leg issues I don’t think that’s really an option. Fabulous sight though and the scar where it came away is about four foot across. Great fungi attached to it too; years old and timber-like itself when tapped.

Woody fungi

Here are some pictures from our other rather brief walks since my last post. I’m starting to feel achy from lack of exercise!

Approaching Snippet

Pelting rain

Inquisitive foal number nine

Foal number eight having just woken up and realised the rest of the herd had moved on out of sight

A rambling rose in the rain

Betty today in the wind

Lizzy now looking definite with the four stockings and also gradually going brown like her mum

Lizzy and foal nine

Number two not looking very foal-like any more

Chief gelding drinking from a peaty puddle

The herd from a distance

On our way home today

And finally, my son made this fantastic origami spider over the weekend. Origami has been a bit of an obsession for months now. Thank goodness for paper recycling because our house would be a mass of birds, cars, flowers and many other folded items. He’s really very good for an eight year old I think but then I am biased. Here it is and let’s hope we don’t lose the connection again too soon. Sadly, I fear it will be gone again by this evening; I’m writing in a tiny window of time before it crashes again. Sorry if I haven’t been visiting your blogs by the way – I will catch up when I can. 

Origami spider

Till next time....