Oh No!

Today, with only working four hours I was home relatively early in the afternoon. The bird feeders again were full of the usual suspects, Goldfinches, House Sparrows, Starlings and Pigeons. However on closer inspection of the feeding station I noticed a little parcel on one of the mesh feeders. Wondering what it was I took a closer look and was horrified at what I saw!!

A Magpie must have been raiding a nest nearby and the package must have been dropped in my yard! (I can't think of how else it could have got there!) What I saw was a cracked egg! I first thought that it must have been laid by a visiting Pigeon but on closer inspection, inside the shell was the ready formed body of a bird. My stomach lurched! I have never witnessed anything like this at the bird feeders!

Then later, I got nostalgic and started rooting amongst the videos on my Sony pocket camera. I came across a video I took when the Lindt Big Egg Hunt was in Liverpool. The egg was designed by artist Mikey Georgeson and I share the video with you. I particularly liked the small poem painted on it.

My gift to you then is an egg,
Not mine to give nor yourself to beg
If you want it then it's yours
Hold it gently till it soars.

Baking for the Birds.

Saturday after a long morning of endless shopping. David went into the new house to fiddle with the bathroom floorboards while I cooked up a mess in the kitchen!

I melted down a block of lard in the microwave and then added chopped peanuts, dried fruit, mixed bird seed, oats and flour. I then popped the mixture into three small plastic cups with string drawn through the bottom (for hanging on branches) and waited for the fat to solidify again.

This morning I was watching with glee as 10 House Sparrows, yes 10! Were in the garden eating the fat balls. No wonder I am having to buy a box load each week!! The Sparrows really did have a bumper brood this year!!

For this evening the family have planned to order a nice Saffron curry. I can't wait!! :D

My Weekend Starts...Here!

Phew! What a week! I worked a full three and a half days! Believe me, my body has not been used to doing that for a good many months!

I worked my three days at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, meeting many company representatives and people who work in the admin side of Supplies and Nursing in the NHS and on Wednesday I 'chief' invigilated my first 'big' room exam! I usually specialise in 'extra time' exams for students with disabilities but this morning from 10am to 1pm I ran and conducted a medical exam for 20 students! To say I was amazed at myself that I could stand, talk and direct more than 20 people is an understatement. I really did not think I had it in me to stand before people and talk aloud! I am more stronger, more confident than I give myself credit for. I am surprising myself more and more as this year progresses. I always thought myself as shy but maybe I am now, finally coming out of my shell to fulfill my potential???

But today is Thursday and I have Friday and the weekend off! The UK is supposed to see some sunshine and summer like weather again, so I am hoping to spend tomorrow sunbathing before cheering on Andy Murray in his Wimbledon semi-final! On Saturday I hope the sun continues to bask down upon us and my family can enjoy a BBQ. Well that is what I have planned anyway!  :)

Below you will find two videos I have uploaded to my YouTube channel recently. One is of baby Goldfinches I videoed on Tuesday evening around 7pm. They were making a right racket and the rest of the 'charm' were all eagerly gobbling the sunflower seeds on offer in my garden.

The second video is of my Bengalese (Society)  Finches, Chocolate (female) and Romeo (male). This is the first video I have made of Romeo since Caramel passed. (I still miss her.) I think Chocolate is cursing my name as since getting Romeo, he has not left her alone! It is pleasant of a morning to sit listening to him singing. Now, Thursday evening as the sun sets, it is nice to see them finally bonded and sitting on their rope swing together.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend wherever you are! :D

First Blogger Post.

I have kept a journal since I was 16 years old. Indeed I still have all the old diaries so I can look back at the person I was at a given date.

Last January 2012. I started sharing my 'journal' online via WordPress.com. http://redpanda08.wordpress.com/ I had hoped that it would become a record of the daily avian species that visit my inner city garden, of my holidays to UK zoo's and also accounts of my many days out with fiance David. 

However 2012 was not the best year for myself. In March after booking a weeks holiday to Norfolk to visit as many animal parks and zoos in the region. A week or so before I was to leave for the motorways with David, my father sadly became ill with pneumonia (and other complications) and died midweek when I would have been away. Luckily I had cancelled the holiday to be by his bedside. My WordPress blog continued to record the bird visitations to my sunflower seeds, mealworms and fat balls. (It became a bit of a distraction). 

Dad (Graham) and I

In May, David and I 'finally' got the keys to our first house, so the remainder of the year was filled with painting and decorating and demolishing!

David and I with the house keys!

However the final months of 2012 was a bit of a disappointment, with my work at the University of Liverpool drying up as my main student fell ill in October, meaning I had to claim Job Seekers support for three months as I had no other students and no other hours! Cooking and baking became my 'new' distraction.'

Chocolate roulade.

Cherry trifle.

Mid 2013. I am in a far better place. We are almost nearing the end of the renovation to the house. David and I have got it 'just so!' 

The Dining Room.

I have also just completed my second week in a new placement at the Royal Liverpool Hospital as a Support Worker for a sight impaired admin officer. So far so good. I am enjoying the work and it could possibly be more permanent than the university work. Alongside this I am also invigilating the odd exam at the university of Liverpool, which I also enjoy! So work wise I have lots going on. 

Outside of work I am currently nearing the completion of a 'romance' novel I have been writing since January but life seems to be getting in the way of finishing it. I have three dates to look forward too for days out!

• Summer Classics in the Park: 23rd August. Hopefully the summer will come back and bathe Sefton Park, Liverpool with lovely weather as I want to see the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic perform some well known classics.
• Southport Airshow: on the 15th September. Hope to go and see the Eurofighter visit once again.
• British Musical Firework Championship in Southport: 5th October, hope to visit on the Saturday. This has become a regular date on the calendar. 

Garden bird visitations: I have several Goldfinch charms visiting my sunflower seed feeders and they are now starting to bring their babies. Just now (7.30pm) I have seen at least three babies all begging for food! What a racket they make!

I also have a new regular to the fat balls, a male House Sparrow. So with a day off work planned tomorrow. I hope to catch a glimpse of 'Jack' Sparrow and get video footage of him for you. While I also plan on baking a fruit mousse cake for Wimbledon!

But this evening I am kicking back and relaxing, listening to Hans Zimmer's 'Man of Steel' soundtrack while enjoying a glass or two of Pinot Grigio!