Today’s guest picture comes from my sister Susan. She came across this very colourful boundary to a restaurant’s outside seating area and knowing that I like fuchsias, sent me the picture.
It was another very sunny day here but not quite as warm as the last two days, presaging a slight change in the weather but probably not enough to bring some much needed rain in any quantity.
Our two resident blackbirds are busy morning, noon and night pecking at the lawn for food for their young.
The garage clematis is showing more flowers every day but is still not near its full glory…
…unlike the Japanese azalea which is opening flowers at a great rate…
…and contributing to a colourful display along the back path.
I sat down for a moment or two on our new bench and enjoyed a purple patch with a perennial wallflower on one side…
…and many alliums on the other.
Sandy is away on holiday at the moment so I got the chance to act as fill in feeder filler at the Moorland Project hide. I went up on my slow bike, stopping as is compulsory on a sunny day, to admire Skippers Bridge yet again..
…and noting wild flowers on my way, including Pyrenean valerian, ajuga and another outbreak of wild garlic.
The back roads are delightful at the moment and the grass roof on the hide is growing very well.
As I filled the feeders, two pheasants were squaring off with a good deal of feather flapping and barking…
…and this was the champion of the day.
I sat in the hide for a while with a fellow bird watcher but there was not a lot of birds to watch apart from siskins.
I did notice a coal tit…
…and was pleased to have a brief visit from a greater spotted woodpecker.
When I left the hide, I cycled down the hill to see how the road repairs are coming on. The repaired road has been completed and and surfaced so it won’t be long now until the traffic can start to flow again. After several years of being closed, it will not be too soon.
On my way home, I passed a patch of what I think must be horsetail. It had a fine contrast between its spear like head and a rather frilly tutu further down the stem.
When I got home, Mrs Tootlepedal was busy in the garden. We are going on a short holiday next week and she has a lot to do to get everything in order before we go. I watered the strawberries as the vegetable garden is very dry and also gave the compost in Bin A a good soaking to help the decomposition.
The sunshine is bringing the flowers on well.
…and a rook popped in to enjoy the colour.
After lunch, Mrs Tootlepedal went off to do some business in the town and I was sitting doing the crossword when a neighbour knocked on the door to say that we had a visitor.
The partridge was back on our windowsill.
It stayed there for most of the afternoon, moving off at one time, only to return to another sill later in the day.
I was somewhat jiggered by sore feet and asthma after I got back from cycling up to the hide and spent the rest of the day very quietly, wasting immense amounts of time at the computer which wouldn’t behave properly so I couldn’t even get useful things done.
In the end I cheered myself up by taking up Mrs Tootlepedal’s suggestion to make some ginger biscuits. They came out well.
She continued to work in the garden and at one stage disturbed an ant colony which was hiding under some black polythene covering a potential seed bed. The ants got to work straight away in moving some large capsules, which I presume are eggs. Before too long they had cleared the site and found a new home.
As I sat at my computer trying to work, the partridge kept an eye on me.
Mrs Tootlepedal took it some seed and water.
The day drifted to a close but I felt a lot better by the evening than I had in the morning and afternoon which was a relief.
The flying birds of the day are two swallows. I saw them heading for holes in the bank of the Esk as I came back from my morning cycle ride.
I hope when you finally get rain it isn’t our kind of rain. It has hardly stopped drizzling for two months.
The horsetail looks like a woodland horsetail (Equistem sylvaticum) or your equivalent.
Sorry you had an asthma attack. That’s a terrible thing.
As long as I keep calm and take a break, it is not too bad. It just makes me feel gloomy rather than making me actually ill.
I think I know what you mean. I have bad breathing days too, especially when it’s humid.
I would love to have a partridge watch me work!
It was slightly unnerving and affected my spelling.
Great news that the partridge is still going. Beautiful and very colourful photos all round.
The partridge is doing well not to get run over as it traverses our neighbouring streets.
Lovely view of Skippers Bridge.
Lovely picture of those swallows, glad the day, no doubt much improved by the ginger biscuits, finished better than it began.
Usual beautiful photography. I hope you both enjoy your holiday
Matilda will be there so fun is guaranteed.
I do like your partridge, I think he has adopted you!
Your flying birds are a swallow and a house martin, well done for capturing both in the same shot. I’m guessing they were after mud from the river bank for nesting. Not something we see much of in our part of Surrey these days unfortunately.
I was wondering what they were doing as it didn’t look like a swallow nesting spot. Thank you for giving me guidance.
So sorry about that foot. Even so, you keep pretty darned busy. I, too, think the partridge has adopted you. Nice that you can help the creature. And happy holiday!
Thank you. We are hoping that the weather at the seaside will be kind.
Fingers crossed for you!
Are you going to name your partridge? I was going to suggest Keith . . . but you may not have received that program in the 1970s!
Ha ha.
The windowsill partridge is excellent. All the birds. And the riotous color going on in your garden and elsewhere. We are lagging far behind you, but at least we are green. I like the idea of grass growing on the roof of a hide.
It is an economical roofing material.
Lovely photos capturing another interesting day in your busy life. Like the flower display through the back path and one can never tire of seeing the pretty Skippers Bridge especially showing such a fine reflection.
My life is only busy in the recounting. In the real world, I proceed at a very steady pace with many rests.
Congratulations on the FBotD swallow and martin in one shot!
You may not have been at your best, but your images and stories from the day were cheerful to me. I think that the partridge thinks that your windowsill is a safe place for it to rest, what a great opportunity for a photographer, and what a wonderful view when looking out the window.
On the down side, the windowsill now needs a thorough clean.
I love the shot of the partridge watching you through the window!
We seem to have an abundance of horsetail along a weepy spot in the hillside. I’m guessing they like damp places. I am off to research whether my suspicion is correct.
They like damp or poor soil
That partridge knows you are a trustworthy friend.