Great Spotted Woodpecker

We had a visitor in the garden today.

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker was tucking into the peanuts on the bird feeder (hidden behind the seed feeder).

It stayed for several minutes, giving me time to get the camera ready.

At the same time, the Green Woodpecker mentioned in our previous blog was tucking into ants on the lawn for its Christmas feast.

Posted on Tuesday, December 25, 2007 at 22:44
Comments (0) Category(s): Nailsea

Autumn had been and gone

It doesn’t seem long since the tree outside the front of our house was covered in golden brown autumn leaves, shining in the sunshine.

Even then the tree to the left had already lost all of its leaves.

Since then the autumn winds and rains have stripped the tree of all its leaves.

Now they both stand bare and the sunshine has a much more winter feel about it, casting longer shadows from lower in the sky.

I wonder how long it will be before I can take the same photo with snow on the branches.

As I look out of the window now I can see one magpie, two blackbirds, one starling and several sparrows just sitting there in the cold.

Perhaps they are sleeping off the large feast they’ve had from the feeders in our back garden.

Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 10:49
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Latest posting dates for Christmas

Waterway Routes DVDs and Walking Booklets of the Canals and Waterways make ideal Christmas Presents.  There’s still time to order them for Christmas - but don’t take too long.

We send everything out first class, and the Post Office say the latest posting date for first class is Thursday 20th December.

We will still post out orders received after that but they may not arrive in time for Christmas.

Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 22:07
Comments (0) Category(s): News

Birmingham Boat Parade

We went to watch the Birmingham Boat Parade yesterday.  It takes place between Old Turn Junction and the Mailbox every year in early December.

There are 15-20 boats decorated with Christmas trees, lights, and all sorts of Christmas Decorations.

Thousands of people line the towpaths along both sides, braving the cold and the wind, to watch the convoy make its way slowly past.

There are commercial entries and private entries, but whichever they are they’ve all put such large efforts into decorating their boats.

A few are even animated, the bird on Aquarius, the British Waterway’s boat even flapped its wings.

There’s several bridges, including a low one under Broad Street so this limits the height of the decorations.

Look out for next year’s parade.
 

Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007 at 21:52
Comments (0) Category(s): BCN