As well as the robins, we've also got plenty of pied wagtails around the place: every year, some lucky pair (possibly the same one each year) manages to lay claim to our stableyard, after which they have no trouble raising a brood or two of chicks by the simple process of hanging around our muck heap all day ( Read more... )

We have several robins around the house. There's one who has the stableyard, one who has the front garden and one who has the back garden. I'm not sure if Back Garden Robin's territory extends in the field (or, more usefully for a robin, the field hedge) or not ( Read more... )

We were very pleased when we realised that swallows were nesting in one of our spare stables*. We were rather worried when we went to get ready for the hay delivery** and found, as well as a small pile of poo under the nest, half a dozen dead chicks, but the parents were still around, still going in and out of the stable, so we figured they'd had a ( Read more... )

( Swimming in water buckets not optimal behaviour )

Jodie: unsettled ( Read more... )

A couple of times recently, I've seen a small bird flying out of GB's stable. I assumed it was probably a robin, and hoped that it might be building a nest in there. (GB had a robin that built a nest in his stable at the livery yard, once ( Read more... )

We've had a pair of mallards hanging around the place for the last week or so. I'm slightly concerned that she's decided our fish pond is the ideal place for her ducklings to grow up. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone to come and rescue them if it happens ( Read more... )

Yesterday, we took the boys out for a little hack. It's rather muddy, so we went a different way to the usual one, more on the roads. Bugs was a bit nervous once we got past the places he's been to before, and started a couple of times at dust motes, but he didn't work himself up and calmed right back down once he was back on familiar ground ( Read more... )

We've has a heron hanging around a bit, lately. Our fingers are crossed that the new pond cover is working, and it does seem that way: no evidence of fish being taken, although it's hard to tell when they're being sluggish in the cold ( Read more... )

For an hour or so this afternoon, we were treated to a blue tit standing on the patio, determined to figure out what the invisible wall of our patio doors was all about. He was a very persistent little chap, but did eventually give up and go back to the peanuts!

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