Have you left enough room for a drinks cabinet?
I fear that might be a step too far commune regulation sizewise. 
My sentence - suspended for how long David ?
And regarding your bird hide - have you thought about getting the Merlin Bird app. Stuart and I have wonderful sessions listening and now identifying all the birds around here at home and at the lake. Yesterday Stuart saw (and heard) a curlew, woodpecker and long-tailed tit at the lake, so they are now on our âLife Listâ.
BTW - how goes it with finding out more about the dancing classes.
Unfortunately, murder is an automatic life sentence but the judge pegged it back and suspended the whole of it so as long as you donât harm anything else youâll be ok but he said it was only because you are such a sweet person. Mind you he was in some difficulty as his wig kept falling askew of his stag pincers. 
Re the Merlin bird app. I can see you have been talking to Mr. Scully who insists that smart phones are indispensable. I have to admit it but I am coming round slowly to that point of view, using the one I had to buy to get the Apple Watch working to take photos now, so it may well be that I will have to put a sim card in it as that app you mention does really seem a good idea. 
Dancing classes, nowt so far but there is a tea dance held by the Club Ble dâOr on the 19th which I will be attending in full plumage. On verra. 
1 Like
Not guilty mâLud regarding smart phones, but I have spoken with him on other matters.
Please take a selfie of you in your full plumage 
This is the only app my non app using OH has.
1 Like
Sounds like a must have for me then. A couple of weeks ago my book was about woods, the trees and all that lived in them, at the moment I am immersed in a book called Bird School and it is fascinating. I even, when up for a wander one morning, went outside to catch the dawn chorus but, at 4am, I was obviously too early. Even the Owl was absent.
This present chapter is devoted to Ravens, what wonderful birds, a rare thing in adult nature, they have even been observed in group play.
I canât wait and the hide will soon be ordered, once I have checked all the spec, and my mate, the Maire, on the permitted dimensions. Iâm having a drink with him, and the council, on Saturday before a meal at the rarely open bar with friends. 
4 Likes
Nice picture of the hoopoe - interesting article too. Donât know why but we call this bird âthe whoopeeâ ! Although we have had this bird in our garden, weâve yet to register it for our life list on the Merlin Bird app. Weâve got a good picture of one but it may take me some time to find it. Iâll post it on here.
3 Likes
At home we call 'em âoop oop eee doopâ
(similarly daft with Bouygues telephone.. I cannot pronounce the word, so itâs âboogie woogieâ and everyone (of whatever country) understands what I mean
You sound just about as daft as us two - sometimes Stuart cannot think of a word he wants to use and the first thing that comes into his brain is the one that it is then known by. Example - he couldnât think of Fire Lighters - he called them beefburgers so that is that they are now known as.
1 Like
Hereâs an assortment of photos of the hoopoe from ages ago. Not seen one in the garden for a long time, but we have heard them around.
7 Likes
Which makes your barbecues events to remember.
A Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth. Courtesy of my resident wildlife photographer. Never seen one before today.
9 Likes
Beautiful!
Rightly or wrongly, we just call 'em all âHumming Bird Mothsâ as we get so many different sorts. If this one gives me a moment to adjust my specs I might be able to say âred ringsâ and then my brain might say red rings = broad bordered.. or, there again, it might not.
Iâve noticed this morning that 2 junior black birds are now picking up croquettes on my window cill themselves instead of constantly calling for Dad to feed them. I think Dad has earned his rest - havenât seen much of Mum, though she makes the odd visit. I think male adults spend a lot more time being busy not just feeding their young, but chasing away other males and defending their territory. Hard work being a black-bird Dad.
1 Like
Mum might be guarding another clutch of eggs⌠BBâs (can) have more than one brood per year 
2 Likes
Quite off topic for a moment, I have finally sussed what your avatar is @Stella , a lit candle cradled in the hands. All this time since you last changed it I thought it was a glass of Stella Artois beer. 
Back to the birds, another loud bang a couple of minutes ago and a blackbird winging its way to the trees. Yesterday it was a thrush, sitting stunned on the ground when Jules started to sniff it until moving on at my âLEAVEITâ command, Thankfully it was mobile enough to scramble away into the nearby hedge bottom.
I have never known so many strikes in 30 odd years here, it must be the heat surely. The happy side of it though is that all have apparently survived, though stunned and immobile for a while, the occasional strikes before this year were often fatal. Broken necks by head on beak to glass collisions. These must catch a reality glimpse at the last second and pull up to let an ample chest take the strain.
And another , a tiny wren this time unable to get away from Julesâ immediate attention but he dutifully backed away on command.
I rushed out and picked it up, cradling it in my hands for about 10 minutes. I then put in in the shade on the bird bar, high enough to be out of the way and a good take off point once he got his breath back. He rolled about a bit, unable to regain his legs, breathing heavily with beak open. I left it for a few minutes, fingers crossed that no hawk should spot it while I fetched some water in a jam jar lid. Pushed it under his now closed beak but within another minute he had taken to the air and disappeared into the bushes. My only worry is for his legs but obviously nothing wrong with his wings.
2 Likes
Something to help the bees during this desiccating summer
