steffi

Been approximately a month since I set out the bird feeder for the winter

Already having to refill all 6 feeders about every third day

Many Blue, Coal and Great Tits are regulars amongst various others

But the majority of the food goes to a flock of Goldfinches which is getting bigger every day

Dormouse nest carefully laid on the ground prior to being returned to the nest box once resident Dormice have been gendered and weighed

One of our regularly found Dormice, curled up half asleep in the palm of my hand. Identified by his short dark tipped tail. This is a photo of him earlier in the year when he was a lot less lively and bouncy than he was today.

Dormice
Today was to be the last monitoring day for this year
But that has now changed and next month will be the last, as today we found 29 Dormice of varies ages and consequently feel that a late survey is appropriate for next month.
We even found one of the regulars, for the third time this year

Cluster of small toadstools growing on a tree stump

Large almost floral Toadstool in the woods

Out in the woods.

Lots of Fungi.
I am not very well informed regarding the various types, but that does not stop me appreciating them

I saw the first cluster (on a tree stump) across the bonnet of my car as I parked

And the larger single one (about the size of a dinner plate) deep within the wood

Conservation day

No Dormice today, although a Wood Mouse nest in almost every other box

Several of the boxes filled to the brim with hoarded Acorns
Unfortunately, for the Mice that cached them, I emptied them all out

If discovered by Squirrels, they will chew their way in, destroying the box

I have had poor hearing most of my life, and I am close to retirement now.
I hear, but blurred.
People always have advice on what they feel I should do.
Only a few ever attempt to make the effort to change their attitudes
All you can do is patiently remind them and hope for understanding

Hugs

Why I love living in Hastings.

Jack in the Green
Pirates
Beer and Music Festival
St Leonards Festival
LGBTQ+ Pride's
Fat Tuesday
Half Marathon
Frost Fair
Carnival Week
Goat Ledge
Funicular Railways
Bottle Alley illuminations

And so much more.

Plus a Groovy Mayor

www.facebook.com/reel/4326666...

No one party is perfect

I vote for those who put themselves out there in the real world every day. Not just when they want our votes

Politicians who play a genuine part in the community

Those who protect rights and have empathy for the marginalised and vulnerable

There is only one choice 💚

Always kinda loved these since I was a kid, when I discovered them as part of a infant school project

Many years later I still cannot resist turning over logs to look for them

And as a result, a handful of years ago I found the biggest I have ever seen, at one and a half inches long, near Bodiam

Brussel Sprouts

Portals

Agadoo

Do I win?

Timber cupboard well on the way to completion

DIY again.

It just keeps getting bigger.

And Yes, it will have doors.

But I have run out of timber and I refuse to visit the DIY store at weekends.

So tomorrow may well be a 'me' day.

Its been a few days since we lost another of the great conservationists, Jane Goodall. And it has taken a while for me to process this
Alongside Dian Fossey and Simona Kossack these 3 were to me amongst the greats
Not for what they did, but how went about it
Will we see their kind of bravery again?

With both a large LGBTQ+ community, and also a strong Green foothold

I used to think this little corner of the world, East Sussex, with Brighton in the West and Hastings in the east, was immune to this kind of behaviour

But I guess the Evil has begun to spread even to this once peaceful oasis

Pyracantha

Hawthorn

Blackthorn

Ornamental Crab Apple

A recent visit to a RSPB reserve.
It has been a good year for nuts and berries

Autumns bounty

Framework for a DIY Pine cupboard

DIY continued.

After 2 days of Blood, Sweat and .. Curses, I am well on my way to building a cupboard.
Costs, mean some things I just have to do myself

I am quite clumsy, but tried to keep the blood to a minimum

Not quite so succesful regards the Cursing.

p.s. I still hate DIY very very much

Hello back-atcha

Overall, yesterday was quite good thank you
I hope yours went well also.
And today? Lets see how it unfolds.

I used to think around about a quarter of people were supportive.
A quarter were anything but
And half didnt really care either way

But now the 25% of haters are growing bolder
Will the 50% who previously thought it had nothing to do with them step up and become allies?
Or just keep looking away?

To me all Zoom calls or Teams meetings are unnecessary and any information imparted via an hours meeting could have easily been covered in 2 lines of an email.
But enjoy your free day : )

Whilst waiting for my car when in the garage, If the weather was pleasant I would sometimes walk up to the burial site amongst the trees, and spend some time there with a book.

A beautiful and peaceful location.
Not unusual to for me to fall asleep there

Susan the squirrel has now put in an appearance.
I have not seen her for most of the summer.

From the dirt on her nose you can be sure she is burying everything I give her

Multiple bird feeders

Now that Autumn is well and truely with us and the weather is becoming increasingly inclement, I have decided to set up the winter bird feeding station a little earlier this year.

Yes, it is a re-purposed Rotary Washing Line

The walk back through the woods as the sun breaks through the clouds

Conservation day site 3

Arrived onsite today and lightly raining, but by the time we were into the woods it had become increasingly dark and we joked that we should have had torches

But we still managed to find five Dormice

By the end we were all a bit soggy, and only then did the sun appear

Done

Beautiful Pig

Today I made a new friend.
And it only took a handful of Acorns.

Male Common Dormouse, briefly held in plastic bag for weighing

Conservation day site 2
Smaller location with fewer nest boxes to check.

Last month I found my first Dormouse nest since I started monitoring there, and this month a second nest only about 25m away from the previous.

But this time it had a resident in situ.
First Dormouse recorded at that site.

Dormouse nest laid beside nest box in which it was found. Probably about 20-30 days old

Conservation day site 1.
Met the new Enviromental Conservation Officer who tagged along for a while, for an informal chat and to bring him up to date with how the Dormouse monitoring is going
No Dormice today but did find a Dormouse nest, in a location where I have not previously recorded any finds

Mary Poppins

Post a female character you love

Spit Spot

Room in state of early decoration. Bare walls battened to take Pine panelling before book shelves can be added.

Today has been an ongoing DIY project.

And now I am hot, tired and for the next couple of days I am also going to very busy
So time to leave this job alone for now

Just because I am 'quite' good at DIY, does-not mean I have to like it.

And believe me I really, really do-not like DIY at all.

1. A smile returned.
2. Time alone in a summer woodland.
3. Hugs.
4. Dancing for the pure joy of it.
5..........
Getting caught in the rain.
I'm not much into health food.
But I do like Champagne.

The interior of a bare wooden nest box containing a sleeping Dormouse with just a whisp of Moss as a Duvet

Dormice sometimes like to make use of old birds nests. The mossy nests created by Wrens are often favoured.

But when the mood takes them they can create quite well structured and cosy nests.

And then sometimes you feel that perhaps they just could not be particularly bothered.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting a customer site in Croydon.

Compared to last week, when, if it could go wrong it did, today was all rather successful.

After almost 30 years working for this company, and only 6 months from retirement, I feel I might finally be getting the hang of this job.