Is This a Partridge?

[appledore]

We have had this bird in the garden for a few days. Does anyone know what it is please. We think it might be a Partridge.

It's not a very good photo, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, how are you? Been a while. I thought the site had died a while ago, it must have been updated.
The bird is a chicken I think, looks like its losing feathers. It won't like todays weather, snow and very cold!

[appledore]

Hi Will. We're fine thanks. I hope you, hubby and Rudey are ok. We identified the bird. It's a Willow Ptarmigan, from the grouse family. It had very distinctive dark markings on it's wings, and a distinctive call. It sounded like 'come back'. It's gone now thank goodness, it was making an awful noise. Our resident hen died. We found it in the garden. It must have died from the cold.

I hope you've had a good weekend. We've had a quiet one. Our grandchildren came to stay last weekend. We really enjoyed it. Our grandson's a funny little boy. Every time he walked past the barometer he told his grandad that the clock had stopped.

I wish the snow and the cold would go. It seems to be going on for ever.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, we are all very well thank you. How are Cuddles and Pirate doing?
I had never heard of that bird, I really thought it was a hen going bald.
Poor hen, I bet this cold weather finished off a lot of wildlife, it has been bitterly cold at times. I'm ready for spring now, the garden is crying out for TLC.
This weekend was busy busy busy, doing stuff in the garage. I stupidly went fishing in the coldest gales I have ever stood out in. I was frozen, the coldest I have ever felt. I gave up quite quickly when I was almost blown in the canal.
I give myself 10 points for bothering.
Your grandson must be learning to tell the time on those funny clocks that tell us what time the temp is. I still haven't figured those out, hubby says when there is a minus symbol...don't go fishing! But I just see 1 or 2pm. I'll learn eventually.
We haven't had snow settle here, its just cold. We were going to make a snowfish on holiday in Scotland, but we chose snuggling in front of the fire instead.

[appledore]

Hi Will. It's been a lot warmer today thank goodness. The snow has gone now, but we've had a lot. One of our neighbours has been a few times with his shovel and cleared our drive. It's very kind of him. He must be looking after his elderly neighbours. We don't feel elderly, but I suppose we are. One of our Azaleas is starting to flower, it's absolutely covered with buds. I'll post a pic in a few days.

We haven't seen Cuddles for a long time, it must be at least a couple of months. We do miss him. He's been coming for a long time. Pirate still comes, but not as often so someone else must be feeding him too which is good. He's quite a big cat now. He must have been fighting as he has scratches on his nose and behind one of his ears. He still looks for the hen.

It sounds like you had a busy weekend. We're itching to get out in the garden. There's a lot of tidying up to do. It doesn't sound like it was fishing weather. Your hubby is right, save the fishing for when it's warmer.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, how are you? We are doing great. I went fishing yesterday, didn't catch anything, but it was a lovely day. It was really warm and sunny, it has otherwise been cold and rainy.

Glad to hear your neighbours are looking after you, that is the way it should be. We have an older neighbour one side, and wouldn't want to see her struggle if we could help.

Lots of plants are budding, we have blossom, and bluebells coming up. I still can't do much in the garden because its been so wet. You sink in our grass if you try and walk on it.

The foxes are coming in twos quite a lot, I have counted nine different foxes since January, but four are regulars at the moment. The hedgehogs are back! Really nice to see them again. Have you seen any?

I think spring will be here in a couple of weeks, well I'm hoping so. I really want to get the garden looking pretty again, and the grass is a mess at the back. Its only a little garden, so it'll get done in no time once the ground dries out. Have you done any planting? I usually put baskets up about now, but I haven't even bothered with that yet.

We are going to Hubby's mums soon, and we will be bringing home a load more tadpoles. We think next year might be the year we might get our own. But at least we have another pond to raid in case it doesn't happen. Rudey will be licking his lips, hope he doesn't eat too many of them.

Have you seen Cuddles yet? Rudey sends a belly flop to Pirate and Cuddles if he is around. It was his 8th Birthday a few days ago, he was spoilt rotten. I cooked a full turkey roast last weekend, so we were on left overs for days. Did you see your family this Easter?

[appledore]

Hi Will. We're both fine thanks. Pleased you're doing great. It's mild and bright today, a big improvement on all the wind and rain. The Azaleas got battered before they had chance to flower properly. We've been doing a bit of tidying in the garden this afternoon. Hubby has been scraping the moss from the block paving, and I've been sweeping and generally tidying up. It looks a bit better. The grass could do with a cut, but it's too wet. The lawn mower would probably sink. The garden looked like the Lake District a few days ago.

There are lots of buds on everything, and the Pansies in the hanging basket are springing into life. We haven't planted anything yet.

I'm sorry you didn't catch any fish. We haven't seen any foxes for ages, it sounds like they're all at your house. We haven't seen any hedgehogs either. We can hear a Pheasant most days. Pirate is doing well, but there's no sign of Cuddles. I don't think we're going to see him again. Pirate sends a belly flop to Rudey.

Hubby's mum will be pleased to see you. I hope Rudey doesn't eat the tadpoles. We saw our family at Easter, and it's our grandson's birthday next Saturday. He'll be six.

[appledore]

PIRATE SAYS HE'S PLEASED THE SUN'S SHINING AND HE CAN WORK ON HIS TAN.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples. how are you? We are well, kept meaning to put a post on, but kept forgetting. Been really busy lately with one thing or another. Garage still a work in progress, although its only two more lights to add.
Pirate looks very happy sunning himself there on your bench. Rudey never sits on the arbour seat, he prefers the bark mulched borders...silly boy.
I've been fishing a few times, but have only caught a small pike. It will be be better in summer when I can fish on the river again, canals are full of boats which are annoying.
The garden is looking lovely again, grass not so bad after all, just a little bit to patch in. Everything is growing like weeds, including weeds! Silly squirrels have planted oaks and horse chestnuts all over the place. Now I love trees, but haven't room for the amount of presents they gave us over winter.
The board looks weird, user unfriendly I would say. Not keen on changes much.
So what have you been up to? I bet your garden is keeping you super busy. Any sign of Cuddles? I know you said last time that you didn't expect you would see him again, if he has gone, I hope he is in cat heaven. I always think of our Tiger somewhere else, watching us with our Rudey. I hope he doesn't mind how much we love Rudey, strange how you think about these things. I'm not really even a believer in much, but have always wondered if there is an afterlife?
We have been to hubby's mums, spread his dad's ashes where they planted some trees many years ago. A wonderful idea I thought. He is now with nature and all the things he loved. Although he hated magpies, and I did notice a nest above the tress we were scattering his ashes...ooops
We are planning to go back to Scotland this summer, we made friends last time we were up there, so it will be nice to see them again, and do some summer fishing. Not really booked much yet, except CP at crimbo time. We will play it by ear, see what we want to do and book last minute.
The weather has been strange, quite hot one minute, then back to cold again. We don't need the heating on much now, and hope to get the summer duvet out soon. Nice weather brought out the blossom and leaves early, it all looks fantastic! Got a mass of bluebells in local woodland, it is an absolute joy to see. I was watching a dipper earlier in the stream, and saw a kingfisher, although it flew away when I got the camera out.
I should go and cut the lawns now, before we get more rain!
No cubs yet, not sure if they made it. The mother hasn't been for a few days, she had a bad limp, so I'm worried about her. Hedgehogs come every night, and other foxes...just need those cubs! Did I tell you that we had four jays visiting? We are down to two again, and two woodpeckers. Very lovely to see those.

[appledore]

Hi Will. I hope you and Mr. Will are well. It's a busy time of year, the garden's running away with us as it always does about now. It sounds like you're busy too. There's lots of colour in the garden. Have you bought your bedding plants yet? We haven't. We usually wait until the end of May.

Pirate's doing well, he chats away to us in his own way. He's a funny little cat. One of our neighbours asked the other day if we'd seen Cuddles lately. I said we hadn't seen him for a long time. She said when they'd returned home from holiday several weeks ago they'd found the remains of an animal in the garden under some bushes. She said something had been eating it, but it was about the size of a cat and there were two white paws. It might have been hit by a car and gone into their garden, or gone to sleep and not woken up. I think it was probably Cuddles, but I wish she hadn't told me. He'll have gone over the rainbow bridge, and be in cat heaven now. I'm sure your Tiger will be in cat heaven, and he'll be happy to see you with Rudey. He'll be pleased that you love Rudey just as you loved him. He'll want you to be happy.

I'm pleased you're still enjoying your fishing. Have you got hubby interested yet?

We've got lots of rabbits. Two baby rabbits from the Ginger Neck Tribe spend their days eating the grass on the back lawn.They will end up as big as a house. We laugh at the pigeons. They used to run along the top of the hedge, but now we have the fence they're down to one lane. They're all in a line, and they run to the end then all turn round and run back again.

It was a lovely idea to spread hubby's dad's ashes among the trees.

It's cold today. Our heating isn't coming on much either, and we've got the summer duvet out. It's warm one day and cold the next.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, hope you are all well. We are doing great, and been busy in the garden with such lovely weather. Hubby had last week off work, so we got loads done, and had some nice days out and meals and BBQ's.
What have you been up to lately? How's the garden growing?
Everything here is growing like weeds, the sun almost never stops shining, I'm watering like crazy or things would die. I think its too hot sometimes, I went fishing yesterday and was very hot. I caught a perch, and almost had a large pike too, but it got away...must use treble hooks for them! Well, the damned thing then went and ate a signet on the other side of the bank, it is a shame I didn't catch it and take it home for tea before it did that. I was a bit upset seeing that, I tried catching it afterwards, but no chance, belly full of fluff. It was a good day though, I was casting for over 5 hours, got one aching arm today. And no hubby is still not into fishing, but that's fine, I prefer fishing on my own. We do just about everything together, this is my little hobby, like hubby has electronics..which often has my mind in a tizz.
Oh that's awful about the cat, hope it wasn't cuddles. Its just so sad how many animals go under the wheels of cars every year, far more than cats of foxes kill.
Rudey is catching a few birds, naughty boy. The great tits fledged from the box behind two or three days ago, and he's had one of them already! Can't do much to stop him though, its their nature.
Is Pirate still around? Does he leave you feathered gifts?
We have booked a holiday to Wales, for one week. So poor Rudey will be in the cage again. Oh he will sulk when the bag comes out! We are really looking forward to this holiday, the lodge looks lovely, it is in woodland by a stream, has an outdoor jacuzzi, looks amazing!!! So excited! Even has canal fishing nearby...what more could you want? Me and hubs will make good use of that jacuzzi, we'll wear it out!
I'm going for a really long walk today, down to a wood I haven't been to recently, hope to spot deer and all kinds of birds. My boots are almost walking out the door as I type, just very excited to see if I spot anything good. The weather is better today, more overcast, so I won't boil hopefully.
I do hope you are well, getting this nice weather, and have a garden blooming with flowers.
Oh yes almost forgot, we have cubs, three of them we have seen so far. Ooooh what a pleasure, its a good year for birds too.

[appledore]

Hi Will. Hope you're both well and enjoying the lovely weather. I've had a chest infection, but I'm getting over it now. It's a bit too hot for me. A frost would be lovely. The lawns are scorched, and we're watering the bedding plants and pots every day.

There's still no sign of Cuddles, I'm not really expecting to see him again. A strange cat wandered into the garden the other day, but Pirate saw him off. What a fight there was. He must have been twice the size of Pirate, but Pirate chased him away. He was a tabby. We haven't seen him since. The ginger neck rabbits are eating the clover on the lawns, and digging holes of course. A big hedgehog comes most nights and finishes off Pirate's supper. Are the cubs still coming? We haven't seen a fox for a long time.

I'm pleased you're still enjoying your fishing. Have you been to Wales yet? I can just picture you and hubs bubbling away in the Jacuzzi. Rudey will be pleased when you're back home. Our family's two cats are big now. They're strange cats, they don't come to us for a stroke. They love our grandchildren, but don't seem to bother anyone else.

We went out for lunch yesterday with our family, and really enjoyed it. No washing up either, which is a bonus.

This year seems to be flying over. It'll soon be time to plant pansies again, and then it won't be long to Christmas.
I know you like Christmas.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hi apples, we are very well thank you. Hope you and Mr apples are doing well too.

We had the most FAB time in Wales, sooo much fun! We had a huge jacuzzi, biggest one yet at a holiday let. This was great for hubby and his lovely long legs.
We did loads of day trips, went to the coast, it was boiling hot the whole time...not so good! I'm not a lover of hot weather, and that could be putting it mildly. But it was nice to be able to do things outdoors and not worry about rain. I also fit a bit of fishing in here and there, but didn't have any luck.

Speaking of fishing, I am finding it tricky because of heat. I went to the river the other day, and was in my waders. Oh never again, too hot! Didn't catch anything, well almost did, but it got away. Hate it when that happens, because you get all excited, and you never get to see what it was. Grrrr
Never mind, I always enjoy myself, fish are a bonus.

We also have slightly brown lawns, you can't really do much about it. Our neighbour watered the garden whilst we were away, so that was great. It would have been worse if it had been left for a week. Hose pipe ban soon, so the watering will be by can only. We are doing hourly rain dances, hoping it will be cancelled.

We are down to one fox cub at the moment, and two adults. We saw one cub had been run over on a local road, such a shame! We are hoping this one cub does well, it does come every night, and most mornings around 5-6am. We feed it chub dog food, eggs, nuts and any scraps. The other day it ate a baked potato, and a jam doughnut...more spoilt than Rudey!

Rudey was so glad to be home I bet he hates these longer stays..but we are off to see Hub's mum in a couple of weeks, and a few weeks later we are back to Scotland, this time staying in a friends holiday let, who we met previous times we were there. So we'll do a bit of fishing, hopefully some BBQing, and a lot of laughing!

I wonder why your families cats aren't very friendly? Some cats will go to anyone, and other cats are very aloof. Our Rudey trusts people as long as they are with us, so outside talking to people he is fine, and when people come round, he is also fine. But if he sees someone walking down the road when he's at the front, he runs with his belly on the floor.

Rudey sends a belly flop to Pirate, I'm sure they would get on like a boxing match!

I'm not going to do any more planting this year, purely because we will keep going away, the weather will stay awful till Autumn this year I would imagine, I just can't be bothered. It does look nice outside, I think I'll just admire it, water it, and we'll eat in it and have fun. This weather has been too much for me, how people live a life in this heat I will never know, I think its worse than snow. Shall we both hope for an early ice age?

Christmas is coming! Oh yes I can hear the sleigh bells already...but can't get carried away, I mean its not October yet!

When do you usually plant your pansies? Are you doing much other work in the garden? We plan to build a deck next year, and add some lighting and an arch feature. This year we were supposed to finish the path from the shed to end of extension. But our neighbour has a damp problem on her garage wall, so we are waiting for someone to put some drainage down the side, or we have offered to do it if they can tell us what wants doing. But I don't think they will hurry on it, so that has saved us a job for now. Hub has pretty much finished the garage, and all lighting and new sockets...oh the sockets. It is fabulous, I'm so proud of him, and we both get to benefit from this new fabulous space. We have made lots of things in there already. We still have oak counter top pieces left over from the job, so we might make a table one day.

Well I've rambled on enough, I will upload some more vids to the tube soon, some fox and holiday fluffy vids. We did see a lot of birds on the last hol, a fily of woodpeckers were in the garden almost all day long. I have never nown brave woodpeers,but this lot weren't too bothered when we were in the hot tub outside. It was cute!

[appledore]

Hi Will. I hope you're all well. I'm glad you enjoyed your holiday in Wales, despite the boiling hot weather. I'm not a lover of the heat either. I can picture you both bubbling away in the jacuzzi. It's lovely today, sunny but quite cool. It's been cold the last few days, our heating has been coming on. We laughed the other day. Half the people we saw were in shorts and t shirts and the other half in coats and woolly hats. I don't know how people live in hot countries. I couldn't tolerate the heat. As you say we'll have to wish for an early ice age.

The lawns are looking like lawns again. They looked like the desert earlier. It was good of your neighbour to water your garden when you were away. Did you have a hose pipe ban? We haven't had one here.

Rudey would be pleased when you came home. We haven't seen Cuddles, he won't come now. We miss him. Pirate must have found another café. He comes most days, but usually only once. We see a little face at the window, we put a bowl of food out for him. He comes running, shouting his head off as if he's had nothing to eat for a month. Eats a couple of mouthfuls and leaves the rest. The birds finish it off. I don't know why our family's cats aren't very friendly. They don't seem to be frightened, they just don't come for a stroke as cats usually do.

Our bedding plants are still looking good. We'll plant some pansies in another month or so. The hedges are growing fast, we can't keep up with them. Your hubby has been working hard. He sounds like a handy man to have around. My hubby tries, but he's not very good at DIY.

I'll have a look at your vids.

[WILL*REMAIN*STRONG]

Hello apples, how are you? We are well, and getting very excited about Christmas being just around the corner.

I have been doing a fair amount of fishing, catching a bit more now, I must be getting better. Cuddled my first big Pike, very chuffed! We had a lovely weekend in Scotland, stayed with a friend who spoilt us rotten, and took us fishing. I have a fly rod now, but have not practiced casting yet, I need an open space and no nosey people around me.

The autumn colour is fantastic, our garden looks lovely at the moment. I bet yours does too, did your acers turn early? Our acer is at its best now, it turns late due to the trees which shade it.

Rudey is very well, but he knows there is a bag packed up ready for us going away to see family this weekend, so he is niggly.

How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? I have not got much yet at all, very behind really. All I can think about is getting the decs up, I bet you are both thinking the same! Especially Mr Apples, he is saying 'Mrs Apples let's buy loads more decs, blow up Santa's and snowmen to put at the front of the house!' He is sneaking baubles into the house without you knowing, soon you will need sunglasses to sit in your lounge.

Have you any visiting cats? Pirate still around? Our fox cubs are all grown up now, in the garden every night as always. We took 4 baby hedgehogs to a local rescue, they were under weight. A fox bit one of them one night, could hardly believe our eyes when we watched it back. Thankfully it was ok, I think the fox might have thought it was a rat. It is rare that a fox will eat a hedgehog, that's more badgers.

What have you been up to lately, it has been a while since I posted. I kept meaning to, but I kept forgetting. Hope you are all well.