Reddish Vale park. 20th-26th February 2024.

 Been a mixed week with the weather, but on Tuesday went down the Vale and it was quite nice though I thought it was still cold but would you believe it the terror-pins were out!.

Can you spot them, No well look below.

 

That's a big one but not as big as some on the top mill pond.

Crow sharing my bourbon biscuits.

Everyone loves a robin.

When I got home, thought "Why am I still opening and closing the gate at the bottom of the stairs?", Pepe went over the rainbow bridge 15 months ago and I'm still using his gate, so it was out with the electric driver and took the gate and post off. then it was out with the acyclic paint and mixed some up to hide the bare patch, not a bad job if I say so myself!. 

Finished another jigsaw too.

Today  (Monday) I went down the Vale again to see if I could find the Bullfinches that a friend had posted on the Vale website.

So it was the Sunnyside pond for me today.

Looks like love is in the air with this pair of Mandarins.

Not see this posture before, perhaps its the females way of excepting him?.

Plenty of others in the trees

Looking for lovee.

Little Grebe there too, bobbing up and down fishing.

Then it was off to the place I'd seen bullfinches in the past, remember that was the reason for me going to the Vale today.

Success and there they were a nice pair on the feeding table.

Is this my better side?.

A very quick Nuthatch.

A cute little Blue Tit with a meal worm.

A feeding table wouldn't be the same without the usual Squirrel Nutkin there.

Spring is just round the corner, or the weather is confusing the plants too.

Back home I thought Alfie was either going to read my books or eat them, he makes a good book end though doesn't he.

Obviously doesn't like my choice of reading material. 

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Third week in February, 19.2.2024.

 This past week my friends and I decided to have a change on Thursday and went to The Daisy Nook Garden Centre Café to see what had changed since our last visit Pre-Pandemic. Then we all had dogs so had to sit  in the outer area of the café but this recent visit we could sit in the café proper. the first thing we noticed was the new decor which is quite nice, place is also so clean you could eat your meal off the floor if you so desired!.

I got a invite  from the ladies in the community room for my friend and neighbour Chris who is a singer and hoping  to increase his client list.

This is him at The Bridge View Café in Portland basin on an earlier visit with a fan, seems a lot of people as soon as they see a mic want to jump up and sing!.

Friend Jean and I went there this past Saturday and my Granddaughter, husband and baby met us there, also my Daughter-in -law too, so we had a good natter catching up since we hadn't met up for a while.

Couple of pictures from an earlier visit to show you the ambiance of the place.

Back home the weather hasn't got much better though it has got slightly warmer, as you can see from the video it's still raining most days on and off.

My beautiful Goldfinches are doing well on their Sunflower hearts.

All these bird pictures taken from my garden hide (Garage)!. 

The berries on these bushes have nearly gone has the blackbirds gorge themselves on them. 

 

Down to the last few at ground level where the birds won't go, so I pluck them off and put them in a dish feeder.

 

This Sunday had a Sunday Roast at Morrison's in Reddish and very nice too, they do a Half chicken one or a Beef one both at £7.50.

Couldn't eat it all!.

I've renewed all my hats this past week, just changed over the hat bands, the old ones were past their sell by dates,  they are Tilley hats and quite dear but the old ones lasted me Pre-Velda and that's 12 years now, so not that dear hey!.

 Kept one old one for working on jobs at home.

Such as this top for my new gate post rather than an open tube, I'm waiting for the rain to stop to hang the gate.

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I went to see my Doctor

"Doctor every morning when I get up and look in the mirror I feel like throwing up" "What's wrong with me" He said "I don't know but there's nothing wrong with your eyesight!" 

I so ugly when I was born the Doctor slapped my mother.

I'm saving for a rainy day!,

So far I've got a Sou'wester, two Macintoshes and a canoe!.

Tuesday, 14.2.2024

 On Tuesday as the weather looked ok  I managed to get down the Vale and though it was still on the cool side it was quite pleasant.

Just inside the gate to the lower mill pond there was the mutant Canada goose, the mandarin Duck there in the background holding his own amongst the others.

 In fact there were quite a few mandarins about, mainly on the lower mill pond.

With his mate close by.

Preening Cormorant.

Juvenile

Gadwall's on the top mill pond.

Squirrel Nutkin at the top mill pond.

Squirrel and this Crow in competition to see who could get the most monkey nuts, hide them and get back in time for the next one!. 

Plenty of snowdrops about the park so it must be getting near spring or is that just wishful thinking on my part!.

So then it was off to Morrison's for lunch and wouldn't you know it, it was raining when I came out.

Had a chat with one of the café staff who was there on a buswomens holiday having her dinner with her daughter, said she lived up in Oldham but didn't like it and was going to move back to Stockport as soon as she could, can you blame her?.

Today (Tuesday) after shopping at Sainsburys had lunch at KFC as it was still raining!.

Back home in my garden the Goldfinches were doing well on my feeders, will be thinking of building themselves up for the breeding season soon, the last couple of years I've had two broods a year, its no wonder there are plenty of them about.

Gave Alfie a bath this afternoon and weighed and measured him, he has put on another couple of grams, that's at least a few lettuce leaves isn't it?, also a few MM's in new measurements.

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A woman confused her Valium with her birth control pills, she now has 14 children - but doesn't really care. 

If a rock star is found to have taken illegal drugs should the Olympic Commission strip him of his gold discs?.

Did you hear about the atheist dyslexic, He didn't believe there was a dog.

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