Monday 15 January 2018

The Weekend + Critters

Hello and BIG welcome to some more new followers


Weekend in Addenbrookes
Col had a liver biopsy on Friday morning, then had to be rushed off later to have a bleed from the liver stopped. On Saturday night they moved him from  a room on his own to a bay of 5 beds because there is That Flu in the hospital and someone  needed isolation. Luckily the ward is quiet-ish. Visited Sunday morning and found he'd had high temperatures overnight, but wasn't on antibiotics as yet, later he texted to say he was now on anti-biotics and had also had an chest X ray - because they thought he was coughing too much. Still waiting for various results
Thought he might be home early this week, now I'm not so sure.😟

And the planned post for today.......................The Critters

Last week...............On Sunday morning I looked out of the bedroom window and saw two Hares on our meadow near the workshop........ I thought  "lovely".
When I went out to the car later I noticed a Muntjac on the field just beyond the ditch... I thought "keep away from our new trees you!"
On Wednesday when I was ironing I looked out of the window and saw 2 squirrels, one hanging upside down on the big peanut feeder, biting through the wires on the base and I watched as all the peanuts fell out -it's a home made feeder, not particularly sturdy. I opened the window and shouted "Go away- you pests". ............They went as far as the trees on the other side of the lane and then came back for the peanuts.

Ho Hum. Squirrel proof feeder needed I think.
Look at that beedy eye watching me indoors. He's moved to the seed tray now - dinner on a plate!

This is him/her on the small peanut feeder which has a jar lid fixed on the bottom with a nail through, wonder how long they'll take to get that one to pieces. He's trying............................

A squirrel-proof feeder has been ordered!

When I go and fetch wood from the shed I always look to see if there are any more owl pellets and for weeks there was a new one everyday. That means the Barn Owl was roosting in there every night. But none this week, hope I haven't frightened it away by moving all the kindling sticks around, perhaps he'll be back if the weather turns colder.

Back Soon
Sue

28 comments:

  1. Squirrels are very canny where nuts and seeds are concerned. Where my parents live, they have black squirrels and, although they leave the bird feeder alone, they hang around underneath to snatch at anything that drops down. Yours sound very persistent!
    J x

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  2. Sorry, me again. I meant to say good luck to Col. To have him home again would be wonderful for both of you.
    J xxx

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  3. I hope Col can return home very soon. x
    Squirrels are very persistent that's for sure.

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  4. Hi Sue, hoping Col can come home soon as. Our local hospital is closed to visitors because of That Flu. I think squirrels are cheeky and smart - maybe engage with them and make squirrely games - you can video them working out how to get the food!!
    I have one squirrel who comes occasionally. My squirrel equivalent is a turkey sized wood pigeon who is here daily!! But then I think, it is one of God's creatures and needs to eat too!

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  5. Hope things go well and you can get Col home. Hospitals are full of nasty bugs so Home is best if he is able to . Squirrels are opportunists and so quick. Great pictures.

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  6. Well all good wishes Col's way, and hope he is able soon to watch the funny antics of the squirrel soon. Persistent little devils but very lovable!

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  7. We have lots of squirrels, a flock of young Starlings, a couple of crows and two robins all vying for food at the chicken feeder. I do miss the Muntjacs and Roe deer we had down south, but I don't miss the damage they used to do to the vegetables.

    Hope Col can get home soon, he'll be safer away from that flu than in hospital.

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  8. “Go away, you pests”. Next time shake you fist and shout “Get off my land”.
    All the best to Col.

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  9. Hi Sue, I really hope Col comes home soon. I'll be thinking of both of you. It sounds like there is always something to see in your garden! I put up a special feeding platform with nuts on for our squirrels and moved the nut feeder to the front but they still come round and raid it! Jane xx

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  10. Fingers crossed Colin is feeling better soon, we love to see squirrels in our garden, we keep one nut feeder for them, we found when we tried to chase them away they destroyed loads of feeders. Will our grandson loves them.

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  11. Sorry to hear Col is poorly again. It would be great if he was well enough to come home but you are both very experienced in the management of his illness and know he will be home when Addenbrookes think he is able. We have grey squirrels here too and something dug up all our newly planted bulbs in November. DH replanted as many as he could find and put mesh over the tubs with bricks on top. Catriona

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  12. Sorry that Col is not much better. Hope he improves soon.
    You're very lucky to have such lovely wildlife near to home. We get many birds and have a solitary hedgehog in hibernation in our garden. I wouldn't be able to resist feeding that squirrel!

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  13. Another one sorry to hear that Col isn't making the progress you hoped. Fingers crossed that the a-b's kick in soon.

    No Muntjacs around here, but plenty of squirrels (none on our bird feeders though).

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  14. Squirrels are so cheeky aren't they? I saw a red one whilst out on our walk at the weekend.
    I hope Col shows some improvement soon. X

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  15. Just spent a rainy afternoon catching up on all the posts I've missed. Colin has really been on a rollercoaster - glad you are both still hanging on!
    Breadmaker - been using mine about 3 times a week for the last 5 years but only use the dough cycle, then bake in the oven. Also use it for pizza dough, cinnamon bun dough and jam!
    Hospital car parking charges - very unfair. Here in our part of France, still mostly free.
    Critters - Red squirrels here, one even has a bushy black tail. They seem to leave the bird feeders alone. A badger has caused havoc in the vegetable garden for the last couple of years. Wild boars regularly plough up the orchard overnight but keep out of sight during the day.
    Sending you both all our best wishes for 2018.

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  16. How exciting to have an owl roosting in your shed, I hope it returns.
    Wishing all the best to Col.

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  17. I had to look up the word Muntjac. I see it is a deer. I love the wildlife but they can become pests.

    Flu season has been very bad here in the U.S. also. I hope that Col is home soon and away from all of the sick people in hospital.

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  18. Oh I hope Col improves enough to come home soon Sue.

    My garden pests at the moment are the jumbo jet of a pigeon and a whacking great big magpie that keeps frightening all the little birds. We very rarely see squirrels here.
    Hugs-x-

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  19. I do so hope that you have some good news about Colin soon, the hospital does an amazing job but we all want them home as soon as possible, let's hope it won't be too long, regards, Chrissie.

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  20. Squirrels are a pest for sure. They hang on my bird feeder too the little rascals. I put a slinkee on my feeder pole and attached it at the top and the bottom, that helped a lot. They can't climb the pole any more but sometimes they jump high enough to grab the bottom of the feeder! Praying for you both for a positive outcome to all of the health issues with Col. Don't forget to take good care of yourself too. XXXXX

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  21. I do love squirrels but understand how annoying they are when they decimate the feeders, lovely photos though.
    Hope your husband is home soon,having had some of the hospital visiting I know how wearing it can be.
    Briony
    x

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  22. Squirrels are clever little critters for sure.

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  23. I've had trouble with squirrels on my bird feeder. It has a long curved pole off the main pole it hangs on and one day I greased up that curved pole! It was so funny to see the squirrel try to climb it and slide right back down! It doesn't always work but often it will keep them away and give us a good laugh watching them try to get the food!

    Best wishes for Col to heal up fast and get out of the hospital!

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  24. Wow! I want to be at your house to capture some of those critters with my camera. I had a squirrel on my bird feeder. He had somehow managed to climb up on snow covered bushes and was hanging upside down on one pole to reach the suet bird feed. It was so funny!

    I'll be sending good thoughts to Col and hoping he'll be home soon!

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  25. We have had squirrel proof feeders. None have worked, proving that squirrels are smarter than man.

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  26. I do hear an owl. Haven't seen it. Perhaps it roosts in the carob tree since that is one of the few tall trees around here.

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  27. Hope Colin is feeling much better and home soon. xx

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