Rockpooling !

As always in life, time passes by with alarming speed, and as such Ive noticed I haven't posted in 4 years.  THATS scary.  So here's the fruits of a little rock pooling trip I did with my two little girls at Wembury Beach today :-)

Common Blenny

Common Shore Crab

Tiny white crab I cant Identify

Woodpecker

After a rather crappy morning (understatement), I was somewhat uplifted when I spotted this fella on a tree through the wood out of my kitchen window (AND I was lucky enough to get my camera in time!). Ive spent YEARS trying to see one of these, and suddenly at a real low point in life, one pops up when I least expect it.
That's life I guess.

Greater Spotted woodpecker.


We must have been on a roll, because on this same day, we also saw a Mistle Thrush, almost hit a Golden Pheasant in the Car, and walked into a fox that trotted down into its den under a fallen tree in broad daylight, and then, whilst driving home after going for a walk, we had a huge Buzzard sit on a tree right next to us in a country lane. Not bad at all!

Garden Birds

Had some more variety on the bird feeder.
Ive seen x2 goldfinches whizzing about in the trees out back, which was great, as I love these colorful little guys....



....and I managed to get some pics of a pair of Greenfinches on my feeder :-)

Mrs tiggywinkles ?

Had a little visitor at the house last night. I was out the front getting something from the car when I realised I was being watched.
Little black eyes watched me for a good couple minutes, then scampered off round the back of the house again :-)

Birds

The Birds have used the feeders lots more, and Ive added a finch feeder, but no finches yet.

The Robin has taken to feeding on the ground, and decided to go along all the rose pots digging up the mulch bark and chucking it all over the decking in an effort to find grubs.

Garden Update

Well 'life's' been a busy old thing.

The gardens looking good (apart from the bleak winter going on right now).
The grass has survived the battering I gave it and is actually starting to look green and grass-like. I still have 10 bags of grass clippings under the balcony and I'm now wandering if any have hedgehogs hibernating in them as one or two look like they've been disturbed by little feet :-)

I still haven't managed to get those clematis in the ground :-(
After the current frosts Ill try and get them done but I'm wandering if they have survived the winter in their pots.

We got a real Xmas tree this year, live and growing in a large pot. We intend to keep it alive and wheel it in over the next few year. Here's hoping :-)

Bird feeder

Added a bird feeder to the balcony.
Looks nice and has started to be effective with the blue tits.
Should be nice as we can watch it right from the living room window, and behind the house is a good natural area with mature trees and a stream leading down to the river. At night you can hear owls, and by day theres a lot of birdlife.
We shall see...

Magpie Love

Yet again the tree outside my office offers up another nice shot.

This time a pair of courting Magpies.

The male on the left kept very gently nuzzling the neck feathers of the female on the right, and each time he did, she lowered her head and turned her head slightly.

Woodpecker

What is it with my office window recently?
Now this guys turned up !

Furry Friend

I had to share this.
This little fella was spotted in the tree outside my office window :-)