Sunny day out at the Vale, 23.10.2109.

Had a good day out today at Reddish Vale Country Park again.

Spent an hour in the Community Garden and then walked up to the Tearooms at the farm for lunch.

Very noisy with the children off on holiday again! doesn't seem that long since they went back after 6 weeks summer holiday. I am fortunate in that I'm deaf and can turn my hearing aids off!.

Pepe loves it there mainly because he gets some sausage and bacon, can't blame him really as it does taste rather nice and he gets a lot of fuss from the kids as they think he looks like a teddy bear.

Then it was back to the park to see if my treats for the birds had brought anything out.

Nice Autumn colours everywhere now. 

The very small quick Goldcrest, the smallest bird in Europe, bet you thought it was a Wren!.

You can't entice it with seed as it only seems to like the sap from coniferous trees. 

My best picture of the day was this Squirrel tucking into an apple which are all over the ground in the Orchard, don't think they wait of windfalls though!.

Always plenty of these guys about.

Butter wouldn't melt in its mouth, but that mouth is quite destructive.

Another bit of luck today was the appearance of the Jays.

This guy seems to have been digging, hiding his horde of goodies which it might lose if the squirrels see where he hids them 

Those beautiful blue feathers were highly sought after in the last century for ladies hats until they stopped the practice along with fur coats.

They do look better on the bird don't they!. 

That's all for today folks, hope you like the pictures as much as I did taking them.

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Sunny day down the Vale,17.10,2019.

Beautiful sunny day down the Vale today, quite warm and after adding two new Metal Bird feeders in the Community Garden, whipped down to Pear Mill for lunch with friends Jean and Peter G.

Seemed to be a hit with the locals

Blue Tit.

Great Tit.

Need to be all metal there, as there are lots of squirrels about

Pear Mill for lunch, here are some details for you.

Nice to have a browse round all the stalls before you eat in the nice cafe which is all decked out in olddie worldie tables and chairs!

All tables have fresh flowers and all the old games before computers.

The display cabinets in the Cafe and all the items round the window sills belong to the cafe owners and you can buy from them rather than at the main desk on the way out for items in the main hall.

I bought this fish the other day and put my small change in it in the hall for Charities.

Not everything there are dear, lots of small items for a few quid.

Today's Cruets came in the form of Meerkats!, always some thing different!.

Peter G even had a Mallard duck teapot today.

Pepe loves it there, as there is always a plate of boiled ham for the three dogs and a water bowl.

So three people , three dogs and not a crumb on the floor, the table to the side of us, one adult and one small child and the floor was a right mess, and some Cafes don't allow Dogs!!.

So after the others went home Pepe and I went back to the Vale as it was too nice to waste the sunshine.

This is the resident Chinese Swan Goose. his quack is worse than his bite and can be hand fed.

A couple of Crows, names Russell and Cheryl what else.

Pepe all trimmed and washed the day before, sat on friend Mary's bench, he sits there very good and patient whilst I tried to snap the Goldcrest's today.

Nice flowers on friend Jill's mother's bench.

So it was homeward bound and had to stop at the top of the hill to take this picture as it was so nice and sunny and that was at 1545hrs!

Autumn is here will have to get the jumpers out now, getting cool.

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What's worse than finding a maggot in your apple,

finding half of one!.

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?.

If your born again do you end up with two belly buttons?.

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Reddish Vale Country Park, 5.10.2019.

Been out and about again this week with my faithful hound Pepe.

Been to Pear Mill Antique Emporium more for the Cafe than any thing else, where Pepe is well known for his love of boiled ham and looks forward to his plate that the staff very kindly provide each time we go.

I always like to have a good mooch round and imagine I'm on Antiques Road Show and try to think what would do well on that program, don't know if I would do better than the celebrities do on that part of the program, watching though like to think I would be better, but don't we all!.

Not many birds about at the moment perhaps they know something we don't??, I did manage to spot the Kestrel that another website member from Reddish Vale site had posted that they were back so it was a hot foot down there the next day!.

There was one there come to check out his old nest box which they didn't use this summer.

 After checking with my Phone Appt saw it was a male with his grey head, females have a brown head.

Think he was thinking those squatter pigeons that used it to bring up a family in the summer had left it in a bit of a tip!.

Wait till I get a grip of them he thinks.

Perched on the other side of the arch, perhaps thinking to surprise the squatters if they return.

Very regal bird though if you were a pigeon you wouldn't think so perhaps.

The other website member said there was a sparrowhawk there as well but it had been seen off by the Kestrel and Magpies though I didn't see it, maybe it didn't want to chance it again.

This Cormorant is saying Grey is the new Black.

Some of my baby Goldfinches at home seem to be getting their red face feathers, but not all of them yet, perhaps they are from different broods as there seem to be quite a lot of them!.

Can't help admiring the cheeky Robins can you.

Well as I said not much there today but might be some Winter visitors coming soon, fingers crossed.

Well another nice day gone and the Strictly dancing tonight!.

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Men do cry, but only when assembling furniture from Ikea!.

Why are women called 'Birds' because they tend to pick up worms.

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Gorton Lower Reservoir, 1.10.2019.

A dull windy day threatening rain at any minute, that was the outlook today, so decided to go to Reddish Vale for a drink as there would be someone to chat to anyway, but surprise surprise there was no one there and the info centre was shut! that's unusual!.

So back the way I came and ended up at Debdale Park car park, and as it seemed to be clearing up it was on with Pepe's coat and with the camera set off round the lower reservoir, were we saw the Great Crested Grebe with her two chicks and as luck would have it she had just caught a fish for their dinner.

That's a big un isn't it.

The fish looking a big shocked.

This is big enough for you to share!.

Don't forget to preen your feathers after every meal.

After dinner nap whilst Mum stands guard.

The only cygnet left swimming at Gorton.

Nearly as big as Mum now.

Still doing better at Gorton than Reddish which didn't finish up with any youngsters!.

Daisy Nook Country Park seem to be a little better with three youngsters, even at this age seem very regal don't they.

Well yesterday turned quite cool and my heating came on for the first time so it will have to be out with the jumpers now.

Saw the BBC Country file program over the weekend and was surprised to see the winner of the calendar this  next year was a picture taken by what turned out to be a semi professional photographer which is alright but the picture was taken in a conservatory in a plastic case and was even shown how it was posed , is that fair to the other photographers who might have spent hours in the wet and cold or even in some cases the hot sun (not many of those this year).

A very nice picture!, but is it wildlife!, could be the family pet!.

Gripe over !.

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What can a goose do, a duck can't and a lawyer should?.

Stick his bill up his rear.

Why is there only one Monopolies commission?.

Why do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and put our junk in the garage?.

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