The tale of the missing...

Sometimes strange things happen in the garden...

First there was the missing fat ball hanger, next a couple of  peanut feeders.
Quite a big rock from around the pond, one morning, was in the pond!
One of the three rubber ducks in the pond, one we inherited and the other two a present from my mum, several times I have found on the lawn and then one day in the garage guttering!

And this morning I looked out and the metal ground food tray for the birds was not in sight.  And I can't believe for one minute that Mr Blackbird has run off with it, not even with the help of his two youngsters and the Mrs!
It does sometimes move around the garden in the day (but I've not managed to witness that), but never very far.

As is usual on these events I have a walk around the garden, look under the bushes and by the hole in the fence to next doors where the badgers come in when they visit.  As usual, nowhere to be found!!!  I even dredged the pond!

I did find the fat ball hanger, without the fat balls of course, under a bush.

For months I thought that the peanut feeders were being knocked off by the squirrels and then in the night stolen by badgers.  At that point they were only mythical badgers that we had been told, had from time to time been seen in the garden.  We had not seen any!  Anyway they got the blame until one day in broad daylight I saw a squirrel pick one up in its mouth by the hanging wire bit and run off with it down the garden.  That was number three!  I was in such shock that I just stood there, I didn't react and run after it!  And no surprises, I didn't find it!!!  I had no idea a squirrel could handle one of them.  But the funniest thing was that it was empty!

The squirrels can be a bit of a nightmare at times, once we had one, which after chewing the lid off a nut hanger, got itself a bit wedged part way inside it.  Luckily it did manage to get itself out!

I don't have any photos of the rubber ducks in the pond or any animals being caught in the act instead here is what the cheeky squirrels in the garden get up to!

Sid Squirrel to the Rescue - part 1

Sid Squirrel to the Rescue - part 2

In December new neighbours moved in and during conversation they mentioned they had found some...
Yes you've guessed it; some bird feeders!  So after several months they were actually recovered.

I am going through all the options in my mind as to who is the thief!
Along with badgers we do get visits from foxes and a few of the local cats, but luckily not too often.

I only "know"one of them, he's a big ginger cat, lots of fur, from two doors down.  Lovely and friendly, loves being stroked, called Leo.  He's is a bit of a squirrel chaser, but that's another story.  He likes to sit on the garage roof sometimes in the sun and I've been wondering if he has been the one playing with the rubber ducks!  However, I don't have him down as today's thief!

Who knows, maybe the tray will turn up, one day...