Just thought I’d share a picture of these two guys.
We rarely see Goldfinches in our garden, just maybe once or twice a year, and this is the first time I have managed to get a photo. The focus is a bit soft due to the effect of shooting through double glazing and being at full zoom.
Some more boring squirrel shots.
Entertaining animal acrobatics while I was having my brekky of tea and toast ….. lol
Here we are, October, and it’s that time of the year. Every morning as we step out of the front door we have to wave to the world. Similar to the Melbourne wave in the summer, only this time it isn’t because of the flies. Our deeply recessed front door seems to be the ideal place for spiders to construct their webs. Sadly, we have to break the fruits of their nightly labours. Quite often we can’t actually see the webs, or the single strands that are the anchor points for the more elaborate works of art, so we end up pulling the debris from our hair and clothes. Don’t you just love cobwebs across your face and eyes.
However, a few mornings ago we were treated to a quite beautiful display. Here are a few pictures that I took. They really don’t do justice to the real thing, but I hope you enjoy them.
Well it’s been a while since I posted one of these.
I’ve been up and down healthwise, flu or something similar, and the weather has been dire to say the least. Now we have had a few sunny days and all the plants seem to be exploding into growth and the colours are fabulous.
Our remaining cherry blossom is looking beautiful and the lawn in our back garden is totally out of control. I’ve taken a few minutes out from work to make a quick perimeter patrol and fire off a few snaps.
Up above is a shot of a butterfly. I don’t believe I have seen one of these before, certainly never in my garden.
Does anyone out there know what it is ?
Here are a few more pictures, some with titles where I know what they are. Some remain anonymous. However, I hope you enjoy these facsimiles as much as I am enjoying the real thing.
My perimeter walk has also highlighted the amount of work that needs to be done around the “estate”.
This weekend has been earmarked for “slash and burn”. Perhaps not much of the burning but certainly there will be much slashing.
We have also decided to replace the fence which marks the back border for our property. 
As you can see the fence has a somewhat laidback attitude. Something it took on early the year after the “Great Storm” of 1987. Slowly but surely the post has rotated in the ground and many of the other posts have rotted out so the whole fence has to go. Thats not bad considering it has had no treatment during the last 30 years. So, 25-30 meters of wooden fencing, a task which is a little to big for my DIY skills, will be replaced by a local firm. They have done work on two of my neighbours properties so I have been able to see the quality of their work.
Once that is done we will have a blank canvas against which to plan the transformation.
Here are couple of general shots showing the desperate state of my garden.
It would seem that something has taken up residence under our shed. A large hole and signs of escavation. Maybe that tatty fox, I spotted a couple of weeks ago, has decided to move in.
And finally I submit this image. It is pretty much indicative of the general state of my garden which is in dire need of a make over.
Here we are on the run into autumn and these sunflowers have appeared in a field on top of Portsdown Hill.
I hung this feeder a couple of weeks ago, loaded it up with bird feed. So far they, the birds, have ignored it. I’m guessing that they have plenty of other food sources which is why they haven’t touched this seed. With all the wet weather the seed has sprouted. I thought it would be worth a photo.
I haven’t posted from the conservatory for a while. But here are three items to make up for it.
The first is a shot of a Red Admiral, a typical summer visitor who was making the most of our Buddleia or Butterfly Bush. At least in this case it was living up to its name. Most years we have hundreds of flowers but the butterflies don’t come until the flowers have turned brown.
The next is of a Green Woodpecker. Not such a regular visitor to our garden but a welcome one all the same. We do see them in the area and this is the second time in recent months. This was taken through the double glazing so I consider this a lucky shot considering that I had the 300mm lens on as well which makes it a bit more difficult to keep the camera stable.
And finally a bit of humour. I was just mowing the lawn and popped indoors for a cuppa tea. When I cam back out my mower had all but disappeared. I blame it on this mixed up summer weather that we have had this year.
My lucky day today.
I had just gone to look out the window when I spotted a movement behind the Buddleia. Out strolled an adult fox.
Not your usual reddish brown this one. No, he was more your builders sand in colour with a dark. almost black, stripe saddling his nose.
So he took a quick look around then, deciding the coast was clear, he ambled across the lawn looking from side to side until he disappeared past the apple tree.
I am glad that they are still around. I hadn’t seen the foxes about for sometime. The picture above was taken five years ago.
It’s gone very dark here and the thunder is really loud. The rain has started to come down by the bucket load.
WrAnTz 