Success at Last.

Over the past few days my neighbours buddleja has diminished somewhat although I still counted 8 butterflies. My rather smaller one has started to blossom in earnest and at last has had some butterflies on it! I have seen large white, red admirals and peacocks plus some very large bees, a wasp and various other insects. The purple one continues to die off without an insect in sight!

My advice to anyone wanting an 'instant' wildlife garden is to invest in a Buddleja davidii White Profusion.

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/buddleja-davidii-white-profusion/itemno.PL00000890/

A Bright Start.

Sunshine makes you feel better, that is unless of course, you've suffered a stroke and then you feel sorry that you cant just get your bits and bobs and go out somewhere! However I try to stay positive and have 'signed' up to starting some specific exercises which I hope will help my progress. Anyway, the sun shone brilliantly and I took my breakfast outside to savour it after the heavy rainfall that we had to endure most of yesterday. Funny how the weather should affect your moods! A couple of years ago I planted a purple buddleia in the hope of enticing some butterflies. Maybe butterflies do not like purple as the results were pretty disastrous and virtually no butterflies ever landed. I did as the book said and trimmed the stalks so they would flower at different heights but all to no avail. Then my neighbour planted a small 'white' buddleia which quickly grew until it peered over my fence. The spikes of white flowers have continued to grow an develop and today I was stunned to count 10 butterflies on the plant from my side. I have counted 5 different varieties in all, large white, red admiral, peacock, tortoiseshell and comma. Apart from butterflies, bees and other insects enjoy the plant.
Obviously I rushed out last year and bought myself a white species which is doing well. It has the flowers all in place but they are not out yet. My neighbour's buddleia still has some flowers on but they are turning now and I can't wait until all the butterflies are busy taking nectar from my plant.

Buddleia showing Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White and some very interested bees!

Better Late Than Never

Just before I was taken ill, a pair of blue tits had frequented my garden daily. I wasn't sure if they were going to nest in one of my boxes, but the male constantly attacked his 'rival' on my french doors. He would flit about on the outside chair and attack an imaginary rival he could see in my windows. Not wanting the bird to injure itselft, I moved the chairs away from the window, only to watch it land continuosly on the door handle and continue battling with the window. Not content with the window, he would fly from my apple tree to my plum tree and attack himself in the shed window and then fly back again. I was almost convinced that he would find another box for himself and his partner but as my daughter later told me, he definitely used my brown box above the french doors Unfortunately I knew nothing of this until I returned home. It was rather annoying to think I had boxes up for several years and the blue tits chose this year to nest! Unlike the house martins who are now onto there second clutch, the blue tits only seem to have had one and then flew off. I have no evidence to support the fledgling of the young but a great deal of hope!

The male blue tit attacking his rival!

A Day Out

The weather has been reasonable and lately I have been feeling that I would like to get out a bit more so with this in mind, my lovely nephew and grandson said he would take me to a local bird hide. He is a bit biased as he is a very keen birdwatcher and photographer. Typically, it looked rather grey so cameras were abandoned and two pairs of binoculars set out in the now pouring rain with more than a little optimism. We headed to Thornley Woodland Centre which has a good hide with usually, an abundance of the more common birds with a few surprises. We were not disappointed as the rain stotted down. The place is an absolute magnet for bullfinches and we saw 1 male and 2 females on one of the many table feeders. Blue, great and coal tits flitted about along with several robins including 2 young with brown streaks on their heads. We were pleased to see a young jay land in the shelter of a tree, out of the persistent rain and then fly to the nearest table to gorge itself on the many nuts and seeds placed there. When I felt sure, it's crop must have been well filled, it decided to settle down and at several points. it looked as if it were going to nodd off. Not clever as a sparrowhawk swept down from a nearby tree and glided effortlessly into trees slightly further away. Neither the sparrowhawk saw the jay nor did the jay show any signs of panic as it sat calmly with it's back to the sparrowhawk. I was pulled both ways, to either watch the possible excitement of watching the hawk swoop down and carry off this charming little bird or do what I have never done before and chase the jay away before it came to harm! Fortunately for the jay, the hawk seemed to have flown away so we left the jay snoozing! Two other jays appeared but they diddn't seem at all perturbed by the youngster and ignored it. My nephew became a little excited when he caught a brief glimpse of a willow warbler and although we waited a while, we didn't get a clear view of it although he discovered that it had been recorded in the book a few days ago. After watching the cheeky and ubiquitous grey squirrels (it's not a red area sadly), we then went off to Far Pastures which is only a couple of miles further south.
The rain did not stop and we held out little hope at we never sen much here. The site is regularly visited by the http://www.gatesheadbirders.co.uk/ who seem to see so many species. However, apart from a heron that hides in the bull rushes and the odd swan and moorhen, we have never had too much luck. As we entered the hide our first reaction was much the same until my observant nephew noticed a kingfisher resting to the left of the hide. For the next hour, we watched this most beautiful of birds fly from left to right and then back again until I was dizzy and started to see in double vision again. Although the kingfisher was not too near, it certainly was a great sighting of such an elusive, shy bird. However, we were right about the other birds although we did see a lone mallard and have distant vies of a couple of swallows and a pinpoint red kite - http://www.northernkites.org.uk/.
We travelled the 20 odd miles home enjoying blue skies an warm sunshine!!

Beyond My Control

I am sorry that I have not written in my blog as much as I would have liked to but I have had a life changing experience. On the 16th May I suffered a mild stoke and on the 17th May a more significant one. I am a little vague over the details but after going to A & E at 3am on the 16th, I was sent to the Intensive Care Unit at the General Hospital and was placed onto a ventilator. I stayed there for about a week and then to the High Dependency Unit until I finally went to ward 33 where I made a little progress. After a week or so, I was transferred back to North Tyneside Hospital to ward 22 which is the stroke rehabilitation ward were much more significant progress was made. After almost 13 days, I was gratefully allowed home on what they call a "facilitated discharge" which meant nurses, physio's and occupational therapists started with 3 visits a day down to 1 visit 3 times a week and eventually no visits at all.

I have not wanted to hear any of the details about my condition throughout my illness but lately, my curiosity is making a comeback and I have been asking questions and receiving some rather uncomfortable answers.

The reasons for a stroke are many and varied and a conclusive reason cannot always be given. However, I am fairly sure of the reasons that may have contributed to me being suddenly struck down by this most devastating affliction. My previous post mentioned a small dog, a Chihuahua which at the time was a few weeks short of being one year old. She is my daughter's dog and I was dog sitting for a few weeks. I never wanted a dog least of all a 'soft' Chihuahua but I have to admit that I was rather besotted by her. To cut of some very unpleasant details, she was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that appeared from nowhere and I ended up on the floor grappling with this excuse for a dog. This, I think, may have been the cause or at least a contributing factor and the consultant had the same idea.

Anyway, small dog survived and so did I although I think my scars may be greater and last longer!

I am eternally grateful to everyone who cared for me but some people stand out. They are my 2 daughters who must have suffered hell when I was ill and no one really knew if I would pull though. And also to my other family and friends (one came all the way from the Bahamas) and workmates, all of whom have visited me in and out of hospital. Work have been great and I cannot wait to get back to those red squirrels although, alas that may take a little while longer.

There is no promise to write each day but I will write sometimes. I sorely miss going out to the Dene and other places to see my beloved birds and other wildlife so don't have as much to say. Maybe I will get around to adding those photos I meant to!