Sunday 30 November 2014

The Brambles, 24 - 30 November 2014

Hi :) As November draws to a close the weather has not so far been very cold here and the azalea is now in full bud, no longer just an odd flower!


The "mob" are still coming in strong every day, and they are still eating everything! A fat block is now lasting just one day! So I bought a few of those fat blocks in coconut halves to try, in the hope that the magpies will find it more difficult to get comfy on it, and so prevent them from eating too much in one go! So far, so good. It's been up for nearly two days and there is still lots left. The great spotted pecker, blue tits and great tits have all been tucking in too :) I don't have anything against magpies, except that they eat too much!

I snapped the azalea flower earlier today on my iPhone and processed in Snapseed (30% HDR and a frame). I still can't believe how many buds are on it. Ever since moving in a few years ago it hasn't done much at all, and now, totally out of season it is just about to give the best display ever!

I finally got around to planting some tulip bulbs that I bought a while back. Half are now done; hopefully not too late and I'm hoping to get the rest in very soon!

The oak trees are still dropping leaves, even though they look bare already. It's quite a job raking and sweeping them up!

The lovely kits are by Dawn Inskip. I've mainly used Light and Shade Flower Garden, Owl Love and Nature Walk Sunset.

Sunday 23 November 2014

The Brambles, 17 - 23 November 2014

Hello :) It's been a quiet week at The Brambles this week, so a very short post today.


The photo of the hornbeam was taken using the Hipstamatic app on my phone last week.

Unfortunately on Thursday morning whilst putting out the food for the birds I found a dead chaffinch in the pond :( I always find it a bit upsetting when I see unwell or dead birds in the garden, but it happens from time to time.

Otherwise "The Mob" has been in with increasing numbers. There must have been about 15 of them on the lawn one morning!

The lovely kits are by Dawn Inskip. I've mainly used Light and Shade Flower Garden, Owl Love and Nature Walk Sunset.

Sunday 16 November 2014

The Brambles, 10 - 16 November 2014

Hi from The Brambles :) The November weather has certainly been around this week. Lots of rain, but luckily some sunshine too.


The photo of the hornbeam was taken using the Hipstamatic app on my phone.

There have been lots of the bigger birds in this week. Magpies, jays, crows and woodpigeons but not so many blue tits and great tits. Although saying that I've not long seen two blue tits taking quite a lengthy bath in one of the drinkers! It is funny that one sees another having a bath and just has to get in and have one too!!!

I still need to get to the bottom of the stuff being taken out of the pond at night, ducks and the floating light this week :)

The oak trees have now lost nearly all of their leaves, just a few hangers on left. The squirrels are still busy storing away their autumn finds, and there are still lots of great spotted woodpeckers around.

Maybe there will be some winter visitors soon to write about :)

The lovely kits are by Dawn Inskip. I've mainly used Light and Shade Flower Garden, Owl Love and Nature Walk Sunset.

Sunday 9 November 2014

The Brambles, 3 - 9 November 2014

Hello :) It's again time for a Brambles update. A change of design for November but still using kits by Dawn Inskip. I've mainly used Light and Shade Flower Garden, Owl Love and Nature Walk Sunset this time.


The photo of the acer was captured on my iPhone using the Hypstamatic app.

There isn't so much to talk about this week. It's been quite an average one. The squirrels are still doing their thing, the "mob" are still coming around everyday in their huge gang and Mr Blackbird is still around nipping in to grab some food in between "mobs" visits!

A yes, one new interesting thing, I almost forgot... There is a chubby greenfinch. It looks quite young, but has a fighting spirit! It holds it's own whilst hogging the sunflower seed shack and has, this week, been seen often with a beak covered in sunflower seeds, it is certainly a messy eater!

I heard the owls hooting and screeching a couple of nights ago in the distance and that really is it for this week.

Hopefully there will be a bit more to report next week :)

Sunday 2 November 2014

The Brambles, 27 October - 2 November 2014

Hello, I hope that everyone is enjoying the nature in their own backgarden and local area. As I sit here writing this I am watching a squirrel in the nearly bare oak tree, running along the branches, and I just love seeing that on my doorstep :)


This week I've also spotted a wren and a coal tit. Coal tits are usually quite common but I've not seen one for a while. The wren I am sure is resident but they tend to stay hidden in the undergrowth. A couple of years ago one of the nest boxes was used by wrens. Unfortunately when I came to clean it out there was still an unhatched egg inside. There was a lot of action in and out of that box and it is the only time that, that box has been used. It's situated on a holly tree at the end of the garden and had the "great tit option" attached. So quite a big hole.

There has been the usual goings on with the ducks being found out of the pond! I so need a night time camera. But then I might be disappointed if I found that it was Leo the ginger cat from down the road that was playing with them instead of the foxes! Although I really do suspect it is the latter.

The hydrangeas are going over but this one looked great captured on my phone camera using the Hipstamatic app, Jane lens and Ina's 82 film.

Mophead Hydrangea
Mophead Hydrangea
And just as I'm about to post I see someone on a horse go by, whilst texting on their mobile phone! The horse part isn't so unusual but the phone bit is!!!

I used a mixture of Dawn Inskip digital kits to create my log book and I'm still loving using them :)