tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post1139810321084577614..comments2024-03-27T13:44:47.825+01:00Comments on Chateau Moorhen..... goes south!: Fruit frenzy but going quieter on the bug frontMillymollymandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-51621116443795882262014-08-30T20:37:20.865+02:002014-08-30T20:37:20.865+02:00Thanks Roy, it was actually downhill to the woodpe...Thanks Roy, it was actually downhill to the woodpecker so I wasn't lying down in the grass! I'm loving the Mac screen except that my photos look completely different colour/contrast etc to my old PC, so wondering whether one or the other is not calibrated right..... presumably it's not the iMac's fault! :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-42305291682541538452014-08-30T13:08:08.373+02:002014-08-30T13:08:08.373+02:00Great low level shot of the Green Woodpecker Mandy...Great low level shot of the Green Woodpecker Mandy.<br />Glad to see you have 'wised up' and joined the ranks of the Mac users.{:))Roy Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054701497328213666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-70493380998712333712014-08-29T07:41:16.839+02:002014-08-29T07:41:16.839+02:00Hi Caked Crusader and thanks for that info. I find...Hi Caked Crusader and thanks for that info. I find it confusing because the tree that I call my damson (not in any pics here) has tiny and round blue black fruit like sloes which are tart tasting until they are really ripe but are never 'sweet' - maybe it's a bullace? But this tree's fruit is much bigger, is purple, has stones that pop out easily and is really nice and sweet and ripens later than the one I call damson, so whilst it looks like oval damsons in some google searches it doesn't seem to fit the description! Neither does the small fruited tree fit the description for bullace regarding ripening time! <br />Who knows, it's very nice in a crumble or for eating raw. Thanks for visiting! :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-91879057102536561642014-08-28T20:38:18.396+02:002014-08-28T20:38:18.396+02:00We have the same plum tree in my dad's garden ...We have the same plum tree in my dad's garden - it was labelled as a damson plum tree.<br />Love your woodpecker photos!The Caked Crusaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02840224194242219981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-42704372273285812592014-08-28T15:23:22.489+02:002014-08-28T15:23:22.489+02:00Haha I write bog all to often too, so I had a chuc...Haha I write bog all to often too, so I had a chuckle there but I knew what you meant! Poor Lizzie isn't going to find too many posts on baking etc but if she looks at the sidebar I do have some labels for 'baking', 'preserving' and 'recipes'. I forgot to put a link for my Mixed Fruit Chutney using damsons which I shared here in 2012 on this post: http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.fr/2012/08/gerroff-my-damsons.html<br />I'm not surprised about having to use new jamjars <br /><br />Re. the bugs, I actually meant insects in general rather than true bugs. Still seeing plenty of them around. Forecast is looking much better from 1st Sept so hopefully some interesting butterflies will come out of the woodwork!! And thanks JJ. :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-51629025978607045052014-08-28T15:14:25.886+02:002014-08-28T15:14:25.886+02:00Thanks Amanda! Greengage jam is sweet but I don...Thanks Amanda! Greengage jam is sweet but I don't find it as sickly as (my) strawberry jam. I'm sure it would be great with sponge pud. I look forward to seeing all your shield bugs - they are great little critters! :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-19269885879655405932014-08-28T10:01:14.914+02:002014-08-28T10:01:14.914+02:00Damn! Following your BLOG...not bog ;-)Damn! Following your BLOG...not bog ;-)JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07910443806244769469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-19393253555902616112014-08-28T10:00:20.934+02:002014-08-28T10:00:20.934+02:00You seem very organised with your produce and jam/...You seem very organised with your produce and jam/preserve making Mandy, looks great too. My OH (Lizzie) is following your bog now as she also makes and bakes. In fact she was telling me that she was told if she wanted to sell any preserves (she doesn't really) she MUST buy new jars...something about health and safety! <br /><br />You may have noticed a decline in bugs but that unusual one is a real beauty! Love that one and how you have photo' it too. Strange how you are seeing Holly Blues and I am not, but I am seeing lots of Common Blues!<br /><br />Well done on that bee picci too-I avoid bees usually because I struggle to get decent pictures for some reason..really should persevere I guess.<br />JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07910443806244769469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-14990575866093268912014-08-27T23:50:24.697+02:002014-08-27T23:50:24.697+02:00Hi, Mandy.. Made a few jars of Greengage jam, goin...Hi, Mandy.. Made a few jars of Greengage jam, going to use it with sponge pudding, its very sweet. Lots of lovely bugs in your post and great photos, when I get chance I'm going to put all my Sheild bugs photos together. I had never seen one before this year and it has turned out to be my faviouret insect.<br />Amanda xxAmanda Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16760505541954557539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-22259094776993435132014-08-26T08:39:28.414+02:002014-08-26T08:39:28.414+02:00Thanks for the link and info, Marianne. I've b...Thanks for the link and info, Marianne. I've been reading about bats for the last hour or so; there are 29 different species in France, many of which have vulnerable status. As well as the Common Pipistrelle there are other species of Pipistrelle, and many species are tiny anyway! So really I have no idea which species I am seeing here. <br /><br />I can now see having looked at bat box plans how the space behind my shutters is perfect, nice rough stone for them to hang off and it's south west facing, near the line of a hedge for navigation and near water. It's not the first time I've found them behind shutters but I know it's not a permanent roost as I was shutting those shutters most afternoons during July to keep the sun out. And talking about guano I forgot to mention that after the bats left, there were dozens of little poos similar to mouse droppings over the wall where they had been. Not how I had imagined gooey guano! :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-33289185538814349372014-08-26T04:00:14.232+02:002014-08-26T04:00:14.232+02:00I'm guessing your area has lots of places for ...I'm guessing your area has lots of places for bats to roost but they need our help here. I attended a lecture given by a wildlife conservationist who stressed how much bat houses are appreciated in urban areas especially. He talked about how important they are to our environment especially in mosquito control. Anyway...he gave us some directions on making a house ourselves. Found directions online. Please send pics if you build one! http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening-Tips/Build-a-Bat-House.aspxMariannehttp://instagram.com/ezpixelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-90022971295455315532014-08-25T19:04:00.463+02:002014-08-25T19:04:00.463+02:00Thanks CT - yes baby pecker is cute and I'm ju...Thanks CT - yes baby pecker is cute and I'm just grateful for the Holly Blues, which were more abundant in the spring here than summer. Today it has poured down but it's good for the garden. :-) Good to know about your mum and her Mac - it will be a steep learning curve for me but my OH has one so it makes sense really and I'm so fed up with my old slow pc!Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-50559369750549328862014-08-25T19:00:36.289+02:002014-08-25T19:00:36.289+02:00Thanks Kim - one of the best things is having our ...Thanks Kim - one of the best things is having our own tomato sauce instead of having to buy tinned tomatoes and it tastes so much better! I have no idea where our bats normally roost (they don't roost/nest/live behind the shutters as a permanent place, they were gone the next morning and didn't come back). I need to look into bat boxes like Marianne suggested but it's possible they roost in one of the old barns around here.Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-23935936979765681952014-08-25T18:58:20.579+02:002014-08-25T18:58:20.579+02:00lol Marianne I do spread out the preserving 'c...lol Marianne I do spread out the preserving 'chores' but I'm still harvesting some fruit or veg most days. I have never thought about a bat box and will have to look into that. I know there are Pipistrelles here (tiny cute ones) as I see them quite commonly at dusk and dawn flying around the garden - and occasionally coming inside through an open window, which is fun. I wouldn't mind bat guano at all - after all I've dealt with smelly ducks. Or is it worse?! :-)Millymollymandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990749863025598526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-11415006074514453522014-08-25T17:09:18.749+02:002014-08-25T17:09:18.749+02:00Love all the photos, esp the baby pecker and the h...Love all the photos, esp the baby pecker and the holly blue. Loads of fruit and veg here too- I shall be freezing toms soon, so far I've been able to keep up with making from fresh sauces etc. Lots of rain here today as well. Good luck with the mac- my ma has one and swears by it xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-60691655501162831102014-08-25T15:47:49.423+02:002014-08-25T15:47:49.423+02:00You sure have been busy Mandy! You have a lovely l...You sure have been busy Mandy! You have a lovely lot of bottled goods to enjoy when there is nothing growing in your garden! <br />We have bats flying over here but they don't nest anywhere around where we live. Nature Nyrdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01633033910448817707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4547505703081839636.post-17824597427342197232014-08-25T15:09:23.105+02:002014-08-25T15:09:23.105+02:00Just reading this tired me! Loved every word, as a...Just reading this tired me! Loved every word, as always :-) You're living country life to the fullest! <br /><br />I especially enjoyed reading about your bats. I see many at home every evening and had one spend the night in a corner of my patio. Have you considered putting up a bat house? I would love to but community regulations wouldn't allow it. Bat guano can get quite smelly! However, I hear it is primo fertilizer !Mariannehttp://instagram.com/ezpixelsnoreply@blogger.com