My Very Own Springwatch Moment

I started work early again this morning (5.45am) and I have to say I was greatly rewarded for it.

I have been watching keenly an old Oak tree in the corner of the car park at the Golf Club where I work as I had discovered that a pair of Little Owls had had chicks in it. I've watched them flying back and forth feeding them with mice etc. I had a guess at where abouts the chicks were, in the under side of a large old branch of the tree where there was a tiny hollow, as this was where hissing noises were coming from.

Today I actually saw one of the parents jump down to it, so I moved in closer to take a look. That was when I heard a hissing from the hollow, but also from a different part of the tree... so I moved around the tree and kept trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Finally, I saw a Little Owl chick on a large branch tugging away at what I can only guess was his breakfast. The little chick was I guess fairly old now as he looked more like an Owl than a ball of cotton wool. Quite tiny though with dark grey fluffy feathers. Very sweet looking down at me, then all of a sudden it got a bit excited flapping its wings about and stamping its feet and it was at this time I thought I'd better make a quick exit before the little thing jumped out of the tree. I'm glad to say it didn't.

I feel pleased to know at what stage they are at and that there is more than one. I also feel extremely privileged and lucky to have seen this tiny wonder in a natural setting and that it looks very healthy. I've been an acquaintence of the Little Owls since starting work at the Golf Club nearly 5 years now and it is the first time that I've seen them with offspring. I feel this has been my very own Springwatch moment.

Before I forget.... we have a number of birdboxes set up around the course and 2 of the birdboxes had kestrel chicks and these were 'ringed' on Sunday. I was going to go except it was torrential rain. Little did I know it would stop just in time. Here is an article from The Wiltshire Times if anyone is interested..... http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/9078285.Watch_the_birdies_at_Cumberwell_Park_Golf_Course/

I have since been told by my boss that there is a birdbox up in an oak tree which contains 6 Barn Owl eggs, 3 of which he said had hatched but he got down quickly so as not to disturb the parents too much. They are going to be 'ringed' in a couple of weeks and I'm really hoping that I may get to witness this instead. Fingers crossed!

If I do I will of course take my camera. I shall endeavour to get a picture of the Little Owls also. Well I shall try!

Exciting Times

I planted up four tomato plants today in one of my raised beds. Quite excited. I hope they do well. Slightly worried as some areas tonight might get ground frost. Hope it isn't ours! I also planted out one January King cabbage to join the other cabbages woohoo.

I've spotted today that I've actually got some spring onion seedlings popping up, something I've never managed before these are inbetween some lettuce and radish that I sowed in the same area. I also have some Swede and Kale growing too. Very excited as I've never grown or eaten kale and its quite a colourful one when it gets going. Starts of purple and when the frost hits goes red. Something colourful to look at and indeed eat.

Winter this year is going to be lots of my own veggies yippee! Have I finally cracked it?!!

I think it definitely helps have it all going on at home, as not only can you keep a better eye on things it encourages you to keep going and keep sowing.

So far everything looks more or less healthy, even with the massively dry weather. I'm keeping all fingers and toes crossed that this will continue. I think I'm supposed to sow more carrots and lettuce.

I'm actually frightened to thin my carrots hearing all the nasties about Carrot fly! Wonder what happens if you don't?

The Pumpkins Are In!

Been busy trying to dig out stones and roots from the front garden. The last bit of root that I dug up today was the biggest and heaviest so far. I have also had to sort out the water meter cover as it was very wonky so I dug out the cover and surround and repositioned it. Bloody nuisance that it is!

I have dug out holes, filled them up with compost and then backfilled the soil to create mounds. My other half grew some pumpkins, and he planted them. One was 'Hundredweight' and the other was 'Fester F1'. I have also planted up Squash 'Hunter', Courgette 'Green Bush' and Cumber 'Crystal Apple.

Very excited but I still have a way to go, as there is the last quarter of this garden to weed and sort out.

I then went to the other side of the path and began weeding their and planted up my one and only Dahlia 'Chic Red' and some Osteospermum of the annual sort.