the bug

does anyone know what this bug is called, found it crawling up the gable end of our house the other day, very interesting looking thing.

our dogs

the dogs went to the groomers yesterday, took their photos before they get chance to mess it up.

mrs robin

mrs robin is looking a bit dishevelled at the minute, not surprising after 3 broods, ( she must be worn out ) she wasn't the resident robin in our garden but she has become very friendly over the breeding season, i leave the garage door open and she helps herself to the mealworms that i leave on the worktop, yesterday whilst i was on the computer she flew into the house, and had to go through several doorways before she found me, she then sat on the printer until i got up and got her some mealworms, all of her broods have been in our garden but as of yet we haven't seen one baby robin.

this morning in the garden

while relaxing in the garden this morning, i spotted a baby bluetit coming out of the nest box, i rushed in for the camera and took a picture of it walking on the roof of the garage, a few seconds later it flew away, got a photo of mr blackbird and also one of the little ones.

bluetits

these 2 little birds have been working so hard over the last week or so, i don't know how many little ones are in there but they have never stopped.

our garden birds

we have been quite busy over the last few months doing some major improvements to the house, now that we are ( nearly finished ) i can start to enjoy our garden birds once again, quite a lot going on at the minute, despite having 2 robin boxes in the garden they have decided to nest in the ivy on the back fence, the bluetits are in the box but they seem to just come one day and then you don't see them near the box for 1 or 2 days then they are in and out of the box again, the collared doves are nesting at the top of our large conifer, and the blackbirds a little lower down, plenty sparrows at the moment but none are nesting nearby, managed to take a few photos tonight.

denis

missy

she is now 9 months old and has just come into season, we have bought her a pair of those doggy knickers which she wears when she goes to bed, our bed that is, she has decided that she wants all of our creature comforts which includes our heated water bed, we don't think we will breed from her and we'll probably have her spayed before she next comes into season,