The first pair of squabs, wood-pigeon chicks, have arrived at the rescue. How I love these chicks, they always feel like hot potatoes in your hand. So easy to hand rear too.
Soon the rescue will be flooded with chicks of all descriptions! We’ve have the odd duckling, blackbird, thrush, pigeon etc, but spring was late, now everyone is waiting with bated breath for the floodgates to open!
I’ve been busy on the rescue front this week.
I was face painting for our spring open day, which was cancelled last bank holiday due to the appalling weather. Ironically, this time, the numbers were down due to the beautiful weather as everyone got stuck in traffic given every man, woman, child and dog was in a car heading for the beach!
I really enjoyed an Urban Wildlife talk I delivered to a bunch of utterly adorable Rainbows, aged 5-7. I was amazed at how well behaved and interested they were. One little guy was so inspired, she jumped up, took center stage and related a funny hedgehog story her grandfather had told her. She was clapped long and hard!
They all sat in front of me on the floor and kept on creeping closer and closer as I spoke, honestly, I can’t describe how delightful that was! One little girl actually stroked my muddy boot throughout my speel, I cringed the whole time…it really was muddy but she didn’t seem to notice!
They donated money and lots of pet food…..ahhh…bless!
Chimineas have been enjoyed, never with a peahen wandering around though! The dogs have to stay indoors until she is in the tree.
There she is, stalking around in the background preparing to roost! I have recently discovered that there are a bunch of wild peacocks roaming our area. Who knew, obviously Peanut belongs to no-one!
My neighbour mentioned that she hangs out on our garage roof a lot, and appears to be building a nest there, we can’t see as our side is covered in ivy. Another neighbour said she has laid eggs in the grounds of an abandoned house but never sits on them.
In other news….
I only went out for a loaf!
Supermarkets selling plants are lethal, there they are as you walk in, just like sweets at the checkout. They have gardeners and kids sussed!
Two of the five planters sorted!
It’s heavenly seeing the various blossom on the new flags, a new landscape to enjoy first year around!
Love it….
and this Clematis montana too, this is a young one, I have two enormous ones just beginning to open.
I think gardeners in the UK are in for a bumper year of fruit, apple, pear, plum, cherry and even the apricot trees are utterly laden with fruitlets, the fruit bushes are also looking promising.
I could talk about Buddy catching and killing a rat, but think I’ll swerve that, awful it was…
And Finally……..
saw Bouncers this week at the Royal Court….fabulous and funny! Lovely having a table…
I am so pleased to have flagged the garden, the difference it makes! I wish I’d have done it years ago now. The montana is such a vigorous bloomer here, it must like our sandy soil.xxx
Love love love seeing spring in your garden. And the flagstones set off those petals beautifully. I’m quite jealous of your clems — mine do bloom, but I’m pretty excited with a handful of blooms and it looks like you are slated for a big show.
LOL! ” I only went out for a loaf! ”
I know that feeling!!!
Who can resist flowery/plant bargains at this time of year …
All the best Jan
Ah, thanks for such a lovely comment Cheryl, it’s awful thinking about how many creatures are on the decline worldwide. xxx
I love the blossom on the flagstones….reminds me of garden in Japan.
The garden is looking lovely, I smiled at the thought of the peacock strolling around.
You paint a lovely picture.
I hope all the animals and birds you love and care for do well this year.
Sadly our wildlife is in such decline. Its people like you that give me hope.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I laughed at Peanut leaving eggs hither and yon — if she is the one who’s up to it. Every year I come across at least a few new duck, heron, or egret mothers who don’t quite understand the process yet. They’ll lay their eggs anywhere, including the middle of concrete docks, and then just wander off. Who knows what they’re thinking?
Your flagstones and flowers are delightful. I’m especially impressed with the clematis. We have at least three native clematis species, but I didn’t realize there are so many cultivars for the garden, too. They’re all lovely!
Yes, young birds take a while to figure this egg laying business out for sure, Peanut has been very frenetic of late, roaming the gardens and neighbouring gardens with purpose, tonight, for the first time, she is not roosting in the beech tree….I suspect she has laid eggs and is sitting on them somewhere, probably the empty house…..maybe she is far more clever than I suspected, and has been looking for the best possible nesting area!
Oh, there are so many varieties of clematis, such a wonderful climber! I love montana, that vanilla scent….just gorgeous! xxx
You did a wonderful job transforming your garden with those flagstones. It looks so inviting! No rats, though.
It is a relief not to have the dog dust track in the back! Thankfully, no rats there…. says I with crossed fingers and toes!xxx
The flagstones look great! I like to keep my distance from supermarket plants – getting close is too dangerous!
Oh my…how true! Getting close to any plants for sale is dangerous! xxx
Great post and fantastic images.Spring has really sprung in your community.
Thanks Peter, it is sooo good to see spring in all her abundance! Here’s to summer now! Hope your weather is good. Autumn now for you….xxx
Lovely, little chicks..and adorable, curious, little audiences…Beautiful Clematis’s picture… Beautiful spring garden…Interesting animals…Like always, I enjoyed reading your post!
Thanks Jade, so pleased you enjoy my posts.xxx
Well, guess you love to be among kids explaining all your knowledge about animals and how to save them! I’m jealous: that’s the kind of work I’ll love to do…
I wrote some children stories, but there isn’t any occasion to tell them to curious kids.
Did you go to see Peanut’s eggs? Do you think you could put them under an incubator? How strange, she try to make a nest and meanwhile she already
deposed her eggs… The poor animal is for sure quite schizophrenic and confused.
How lovely to see the snow of petales covering the garden… it looks like in a fairytale!
Hugs and kisses :-)c
What a shame you’re not able to tell your stories to children, I’m sure any rescue would snap you up re doing talks in schools though!
I couldn’t see Peanuts eggs, she laid them in the garden of an unoccupied house that is being renovated, she does seem a lot more active of late, maybe those first eggs were a practice run. Tonight is the first time in two months that she’s not in the tree, I can hear her, so she’s somewhere nearby, I suspect she’s laid again and is brooding eggs, we’ll see! Thanks Claudine, hugs and love to you all.xxx
I hear the cheerful sounds of spring coming from your post, Dina. The birds and the bushes; it’s a pleasure to get such a message this morning. Thanks. xxx
Wonderful that you enjoyed it, thanks Shimon.xxx
Your varied programme for the year has begun…at last. Buddy is doing what he was bred to do, I think; Peanut has attached herself to your abode and general menagerie; buds are budding and indeed, flowering, your lovely Clematis is testament to it. On top of talking with, and entertaining little ones with all sorts of interests, quirks and foibles, you still have time for yourself and a night out. How do you do it!
xxx
It is lovely getting my life back after surgery, and being so much better than I was before my op! I am enjoying spring and gardening again….wonderful it is! Thanks Menhir.xxx
All your blossom is lovely, even on the ground! I think it is a good year for all blossom, the wet summer last year must have had a lot to do with it. Hopefully the blossom will mean lots of fruit!
Thanks Pauline, I do like seeing the blossom on the paving. Here’s to a bumper year of fruit!xxx
Oh, I love the baby squabs and the roaming peahen who, it seems, has found a home with you and is benefiting from the routines you’re “arranged” around her needs. 🙂
I know what you mean about a harmless jaunt to the store for anything, which becomes everything you wanted for the garden since autumn. Ugh! Must control myself! Really hard, because I fear I lost a bit of my garden backbone plants this past winter…giving them another week to emerge…but who can resist colorful annuals and pretty pots???!
Glad the fundraiser made money, and the sweet Rainbows came through with donations, too. I miss being with young children; their innocence, curiosity, and wisdom are so appealing.
Glad you’re getting out and about and enjoying yourself, Dina. Your garden must be a joy to return to whenever you’ve been away. 🙂 The flags are especially attractive: if I didn’t love you so, I’d be envious. Edging the garden/lawn interface sure gets old! 🙂
Gentle peace to your new week.
I was out walking with the dogs today and saw a peacock across the dual carriageway where we live, I can’t imagine that him and the peahen won’t find each other!
Supermarkets are a nightmare with all those wonderful, reasonably priced plants, I bought lots of perennials, healthy plants, quite far on and a lot cheaper than the garden centers.
I can understand you missing working with kids, they certainly keep you young!
Our front lawn is hard work too, I think hubs is pleased to only have one to deal with these days! It’s wonderful seeing the back garden come to life again after all the flagging and new fences, hopefully now I can get it into some sort of shape.Losing all those plants must have broken your heart!!!! Here’s to some making a comeback, there’s time yet….fingers crossed. Love and hugs….always.xxx
Well, it looks like you were right about the pea hen! Yikes.
Not many of the “dead” plants have made a comeback, here, so ordered up a few from a nursery. We shall see! That’s gardening!🤪
A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. You’ve certainly been busy. The garden and planters are looking good. I think that you’re right about it going to be a good year for fruit, fingers crossed. xx
Thanks Flighty, it’s good to see the garden coming on, I’m losing track of how many times the back has been started from scratch! I’m really optimistic re a bumper year for fruit, mine is still hanging on after a couple of windy evenings.xxx
Mind that peahen does not get cooked. 😜
Another delightfully cheerful post…..
Enjoy the fine weather. Hugs. 💕
The peahen seems remarkably calm around the chiminea, roaring flames and sparks faze her not! Thanks Bushka, hugs to you.xxx
Those squabs remind me of the Ugly Duckling story, they’re really not the prettiest things, are they? Very cute though. Such a shame the numbers were down at the open day, I do hope you still managed to raise plenty of much needed funds for the rescue though. I can imagine how awful it was to witness Buddy and the rat, believe it or not, instinct kicks in when my placid Cavalier King Charles sees a rat too. Mick let him off his lead without realising a rat was in the vicinity and Archie was off like a bullet, he managed to get hold of it and Mick said the rat was screaming. He managed to make Archie let go and it limped off, but whether it survived or not we don’t know.
Squabs are very like ugly ducklings, they have a face only a mother could love!
Oh…..dogs and rats eh? I’m surprised at Archie going after one, as you say he’s a very calm dog, it must be instinctive. Sam and Annie saw a mouse today and just sniffed it, I was surprised, I think they are more used to little creatures as chicks and hoglets were hand reared around them when they were pups.
That screaming is utterly horrendous, I never want to hear that again!xxx
When telling a story to my class children often used to play with my toes whenever I was wearing sandals. I’m hoping that you assessment of a bumper fruit harvest is correct and that all the fruitlets don’t decide to drop off.
Oh goodness, if anyone played with my toes I’d be giggling hysterically, I’m terribly ticklish!
So far so good re the fruit, most of mine has survived a very windy evening. xxx
Those wood pigeon chicks are adorable. I had to look twice at your chiminea photo; I initially thought that you said that Peanut was ready to roast rather than roost! Glad that your talk to the Rainbows was so appreciated. xx
Hi Julie. Your comment re Peanut had me laughing! Roast indeed!xxx