A walk of two halves, pic two in the heavy cold rain only a few minutes after pic one. :(

[dall05]

Always expect the unexpected healthunlockeders when walking out in our wonderful country, best take a brolly or even better stay in the warm at home with your feet up.

The swans were loving it though, while I was back in the car a man on the opposite side of the river to me turned up with 3 very large bags of food for the swans, he was quickly spotted and surrounded by at least 50 very hungry and grateful swans, ducks, a canada goose, moorhens, pigeons and screaming seagulls.

Great to see someone out there thinking of the swans and the other birds who must be having a hard time of it on these cold winter days and nights.

Tony

[Jolyn]

Wow, that river looks really swollen. Glad to know there are always people who think of the swans and ducks.

[dall05 in reply to Jolyn]

Hi Jolyn, the Severn was inches from bursting its banks again but the walk way was just clear so I thought why not.

Still even though the sun was shining at the time I should have seen it coming eh'. and been prepared ☔ .

This is my first attempt at a reply using my phone

[frose]

Spent ages phone typing a reply to your other post but it disappeared grr so will try again tomorrow!

[dall05 in reply to frose]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who suffers this annoying problem. I have lost hours of reply's/posts to cyber space.

Technology Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Tony x

[frose in reply to dall05]

Haha yes! It happens on this site and lot! So the short version is that I've bought a bike (of the fold up variety) which I shall be collecting from your neck of the woods next Saturday! Mind you, whether I'm actually able to fold and unfold it, never mind ride it, remains to be seen! It's my cunning plan for keeping up with my dog along the canal paths - camera on my back!

[dall05 in reply to frose]

Well done you for positive thinking, a bike sounds like a good idea and canal paths are level so lets hope your plan works. My bike has been collecting dust for over 4 years now apart from one 200 meter ride but I plan to give it a try next summer. Its 5 miles to Upton and mainly downhill so I'll give it a go for sure.

Now we both have a cunning plan. .

Tony x

[frose in reply to dall05]

You can't beat a cunning plan, or a bike that includes a watering hole stop off! Like you, I'll probably wait until the weather improves a bit. But you ARE brave, I know your breathing is much worse than mine, and I'm nervous! Well done us!

[bikergrove]

What a lovely picture,i always feed the birds i think they need a bit of help in the winter months as do thw ducks.swans etc x

[dall05 in reply to bikergrove]

Hi Biker, I took some food down the garden to refill the bird table today but the cold air really got me puffing, I was happy to get plugged back on the end of my long oxygen tube in the warm again.

I'm glad I did it though when I looked out later the birds were tucking in and I knew just how cold it is out there for them.

[bikergrove in reply to dall05]

Yes they need a bit of support in this cold weather, and if you feed them regularly they turn up on time to be fed, i have a gang of rather greedy starlings who eat everything in sight. Also got blackbirds who to my frustration spend that much time fighting ,the other birds eat all the food while they do battle.x

[Hidden]

Beautiful picture Tony.

[dall05 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Xris, not bad for a phone camera, it wasn't much fun out there in that cold rain though and I wouldn't recommend it.

[DozyDormouse]

One word Superman. Nutter!

love Dozy x x

[dall05 in reply to DozyDormouse]

Thanks for that Dozy, I must have been nutts to go out without my cape and unprepared this time of year but even superman makes mistakes it seems.

My lungs are clogging, my treadmill is buried in the garage and its to cold outside to walk so warmer weather just can't come quickly enough now.

Its so bad I may just have to do another singing video soon so watch out. Ha Ha.

Tony xx

[butter-fly]

Can't get to the swans Tony but will keep my bird feeders full. Little blighters need all the help they can get in this freezing cold. xx

[dall05 in reply to butter-fly]

I agree, it must be very hard out there so keeping the birds well fed gives them a better chance to make it through the winter.

I wouldn't last I night out there, they must have antifreeze in their blood.

[Hidden]

once again nice picture Tony and hats off to the bird feeder

[scorpiolass in reply to Hidden]

Lovely to see you back; hope you are feeling better. Love Mx

[Hidden in reply to scorpiolass]

much better thank you over my pneumonia it was a hard one this time it had done the circuit at the nursing home where I live saw 3 off to the happy home and came back at me like a ball and chain so was in hospital for over a week and now I am back again fighting fit but not allowed out for another 3 weeks at least and if the temp outside is low it may be longer.

[dall05 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Ant, its great to see you fighting fit again after the pneumonia which must have given you a rough ride.

Its good to see people looking after the wildlife isn't it, like us there's times they need a little help to. I try to keep my bird table topped up this time of year but it gets emptied pretty quick

which tells us something in itself.

[Hidden in reply to dall05]

that sure does Tony I tried to get one set up in the summer so they could feed safe from our cat and the local feral one however they get fed on the ground once again but I feel they are safe.

[dall05 in reply to Hidden]

Yes our cats tend to stay inside mostly on cold days so I put food on the ground as well as the bird table.

Blackbirds and pigeons seem to prefer it on the more open ground so they can see all around.

[Hidden in reply to dall05]

ours sure does only going out to do whats required of her not hunting in this cool weather

[dall05 in reply to Hidden]

Cant blame them can you. Think I'll come back as a cat, they get it pretty good apart from that fur ball thing. uuug!!

[Hidden in reply to dall05]

spoke to soon about the recovery once again last week I developed a bilateral chest infection and theres me pleased as punch that I had reached 4 clear days since leaving hospital, anyway the doc has put me on 2 weeks AB's this time and plenty of bed rest.

[dall05 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry to hear that ant, there is a bright side though, the weather is so bad you've picked a good time for some bed rest.

Let the AB's do their stuff and come back fighting fit when hopefully the sun will be shinning.

[scorpiolass]

Lovely photo & kind 'bird' thoughts but it looks somewhat hazardous Tony. Love Mx

[dall05 in reply to scorpiolass]

Don't worry M, I keep well away from the edge cause I wouldn't fancy my chances if I went for an unexpected swim.

Those swans in Worcester get very well looked after, that's probably why the canada goose has stayed behind this winter, he's pretty quick at getting from 1 side of the river to the other when there's food on offer.

The moorhens pigeons and gulls are always there to pick up the pieces so there's no waste and its was fun to watch from the warmth of my little clio.

Tony xx

[dall05]

It seems my windows phone can do things my laptop can't even though its a fraction of the size. It doesn't keep my legs warm though.

Tony xxx