29/04 'B' DAY

I can't think of a better title.

Was going to call this post 'Tits & Bums' because you know just how much I love the birdlife in our garden and the Blue Tits and Great Tits are probably our most regular garden visitors through the winter months !

BUT  after a lovely fellow Blogger, Polly, accused me of turning an artists blog into a SEX blog I had to change tactics,  or at least titles.     By the way - do check out Polly's Blogs ... I just love her warped sense of humour and sadly I think that's because I'm very nearly as warped as Polly!!!!

Here's a link to one of her Blogs: Polly

So .... I've decided to call this a 'B' Blog day as all the photos and observations have a connection to 'B'
(how sad is that) ......


What made me think of bums was this photo - and what sort of horrible wife am I to take a sneaky pic like this of my lovely hubby when he was about to undergo a 'procedure' at the local hospital today????
Yeayyyyyyyy ..... one up to me I think :-)

He has to have a bi-annual endoscopy test and today went to great lengths to remind the nurses that the tube was to be inserted from the top end, not the bottom end so was allowed to retain some dignity (and his underpants).

This is a private hospital but the gowns still leave a lot to be desired (or not)!!

I'll be in trouble when David sees this photo .. he doesn't know I took it -  but he's still sleeping off the effects of the anaesthetic at the moment.  He isn't allowed to drive for 24 hours so I had to accompany him and wait at the hospital this afternoon.  I took the camera instruction manual (on Kindle) with me intending to study it to learn more about its many functions but got bogged down and bored but I did find a couple of useful functions that I need to play with

so the rest of the Bs

well, as usual I have lots of bird photos - but I'll avoid the 'tits' except to say that the blue tits have been frantically visiting the nestbox on our shed wall stuffing it with grass and moss ready for the new arrivals.

Otherwise ....

Blackbird today was basking in the sun at the back of the garden - he was so still I thought he was dead and he stayed like this for about 20 minutes

then just as I was about to go and investigate he scuttled across the garden at a great rate of knots (as only blackbirds can) and jumped into one of the sunken bird baths in the border ... I have a variety of plastic containers in the garden filled with water that the blackbirds and robins love to bathe in

and talking of robins .. at the moment they are the most active birds in our garden, frantically pecking at the fatballs and sunflower seeds, then grubbing in the flower beds.       I guess they must have lots of mouths to feed judging by the frenzy of their visits to the garden.   They are all looking very thin and stressed out just now - joys of parenthood. 

Another successful bug hunt .... its nice to see that the birds are finally managing to find more 'natural' foods and aren't so dependent on the seeds and fatballs we hang out for them

 I managed to photograph a male Great spotted woodpecker in the garden early this morning - they are shy birds and tend to hide behind the tree trunks/feeders so I had to bide my time till he showed his face out of the shadows.    Handsome birds aren't they?

Yesterday we went to my stepdaughter's house for a family BBQ afternoon - her partner's family were visiting from Yorkshire so it was nice to catch up with them.  The weather was bright and dry but pretty cold so the guys cooked BBQ outside and we ate indoors in the warm!

My grand-daughter loves playing outdoors but living in South East London/Bexley they are plagued with pigeons - hence the anti-pigeon spikes on the top of her garden swing apparatus ... which hasn't deterred the Jay who managed to find the one unprotected area he could perch on ..

Actually I was chuffed that a pair of Jays spent some time in the garden and weren't as timid as the Jays that visit us in Whitstable.  Whenever I reach for my camera at home the Jays see/sense movement at the window and fly off - maybe urban Jays are braver than their seaside dwelling relatives.   Although they were perched up high in one of the conifer trees my camera did a pretty good job under the circumstances  and its just a shame that this Jay didn't turn round slightly to show off the lovely markings on his wings/side.

I really don't like pigeons - horrible pests that seem to be on the increase.   They waddle round in our garden at Whitstable picking up seeds and bits of fatball dropped by the birds who visit the feeders.  They are just puffed up and stupid looking and very messy.    

 I always thought they were a bit 'thick' but was amazed at the antics of this one at my stepdaughter's garden.  He'd worked out how to hook his wing round one of the little perches on the seedfeeder to stabilise himself so he could balance long enough to get at the seeds ...

so, whilst I still don't like pigeons, this one at least has gone up in my estimation!



and a couple of pictures of my Grand-daughter Sophie-Louise who is growing up soooo quickly.  She's now 2½ going on 12 years old!

BBQ corns are soooo delicious

followed by ball games in the garden ... before the weather got just too cold and we had to retire indoors

now time for bed ....