On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:11:58 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Ophelia" wrote in message
...

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message

My one and only Christmas present was a very nice card from my wife. It
was
unsigned with a note included to the effect that she specifically gave
it
to
me in mint condition so that I could give it to her next year.

Oh Franz.. I do hope you are joking

We have a wedding anniversary card wich is now in its sixth season. I might
have to starch it next year.

:-)

a bit of left over Xmas gold spray for your golden jubilee will
suffice :-)
--
Martin

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:40:30 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these
words:

My one and only Christmas present was a very nice card from my wife. It
was
unsigned with a note included to the effect that she specifically gave
it to
me in mint condition so that I could give it to her next year.

If you give her another, sharpish, it won't be too late for the New
Year, and she can give you that one next year as you return hers.

I'll see if I can find one tomorrow. {:-))

I wouldn't get involved in giving New Year cards, she'll be expecting
one for her birthday next.
I always give garden centre plants and the obligatory insecticide
spray plus the occasional pair of secateurs to replace the ones that
mysteriously get lost in our tiny garden.
I got a bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed for Christmas.
I assume the birds got the novels Belgian chocolates etc. that I was
looking forward to getting.
--
Martin

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:11:58 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Ophelia" wrote in message
...

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message

My one and only Christmas present was a very nice card from my wife.
It
was
unsigned with a note included to the effect that she specifically
gave
it
to
me in mint condition so that I could give it to her next year.

Oh Franz.. I do hope you are joking

We have a wedding anniversary card wich is now in its sixth season. I
might
have to starch it next year.

:-)

a bit of left over Xmas gold spray for your golden jubilee will
suffice :-)

Thanks for the advice, which is unfortunately 3 years too late.

Franz

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:40:30 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these
words:

My one and only Christmas present was a very nice card from my wife.
It
was
unsigned with a note included to the effect that she specifically
gave
it to
me in mint condition so that I could give it to her next year.

If you give her another, sharpish, it won't be too late for the New
Year, and she can give you that one next year as you return hers.

I'll see if I can find one tomorrow. {:-))

I wouldn't get involved in giving New Year cards, she'll be expecting
one for her birthday next.
I always give garden centre plants and the obligatory insecticide
spray plus the occasional pair of secateurs to replace the ones that
mysteriously get lost in our tiny garden.
I got a bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed for Christmas.
I assume the birds got the novels Belgian chocolates etc. that I was
looking forward to getting.

My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever give the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and approves of
it before any money is spent.

Franz

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever give the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and approves of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before
--
Martin

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

Franz

On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 22:08:17 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

I attached an old Compuserve CD to the top of the balls of fat to stop
the starlings eating the fat. Now we only have coal tits eating the
fat.

We had fieldfare in the garden last year.

--
Martin

The message
from martin contains these words:

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

Candidates:

1) Siskin: Under 5". Small green finch, forked tail, male has black cap
and bib. Female duller, and lighter beneath.

2) Serin: same size as the siskin, unlikely, unless you've suddenly
found a forested mountain nearby....... Wild version of the canary.

3) Greenfinch: at just under 6", a bigger bird than the siskin, powerful
beak - sorry - bill

4) Crossbill: 6½"-ish. Unlikely. They like coniferous forests or groups
of mature conifers.

5) Goldfinch: just over 5". Red face, white sides to head, black cap.
Mainly buff and black, but with bright yellow bar sandwiched between two
dark grey bars along the wings, and with a white trailing edge. Powerful
bill.

6) Yellowhammer: slightly larger than the greenfinch at 6½"-ish. Male:
face and underside yellow and a dark bar across the eyes and
concentric-ish curved bars round it. Chestnut rump and white streaks
along either side of the tail.

7) Yellow-breasted bunting: rare - unlikely.

HTH

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 10:55:21 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

To narrow it down a bit they have no green feathers, the coloured
feathers are yellow.

If I remove the Compuserve CDs from the tree, perhaps they will return
for closer scrutiny.



Candidates:

1) Siskin: Under 5". Small green finch, forked tail, male has black cap
and bib. Female duller, and lighter beneath.

2) Serin: same size as the siskin, unlikely, unless you've suddenly
found a forested mountain nearby....... Wild version of the canary.

3) Greenfinch: at just under 6", a bigger bird than the siskin, powerful
beak - sorry - bill

4) Crossbill: 6½"-ish. Unlikely. They like coniferous forests or groups
of mature conifers.

5) Goldfinch: just over 5". Red face,

the birds faces are not red.

white sides to head, black cap.
Mainly buff and black, but with bright yellow bar sandwiched between two
dark grey bars along the wings, and with a white trailing edge. Powerful
bill.

6) Yellowhammer: slightly larger than the greenfinch at 6½"-ish. Male:
face and underside yellow and a dark bar across the eyes and
concentric-ish curved bars round it. Chestnut rump and white streaks
along either side of the tail.

7) Yellow-breasted bunting: rare - unlikely.

HTH

not yet, but perhaps later.
--
Martin

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 10:55:21 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

To narrow it down a bit they have no green feathers, the coloured
feathers are yellow.

If I remove the Compuserve CDs from the tree, perhaps they will return
for closer scrutiny.



Candidates:

1) Siskin: Under 5". Small green finch, forked tail, male has black cap
and bib. Female duller, and lighter beneath.

2) Serin: same size as the siskin, unlikely, unless you've suddenly
found a forested mountain nearby....... Wild version of the canary.

3) Greenfinch: at just under 6", a bigger bird than the siskin, powerful
beak - sorry - bill

4) Crossbill: 6½"-ish. Unlikely. They like coniferous forests or groups
of mature conifers.

5) Goldfinch: just over 5". Red face,

the birds faces are not red.

white sides to head, black cap.
Mainly buff and black, but with bright yellow bar sandwiched between two
dark grey bars along the wings, and with a white trailing edge. Powerful
bill.

6) Yellowhammer: slightly larger than the greenfinch at 6½"-ish. Male:
face and underside yellow and a dark bar across the eyes and
concentric-ish curved bars round it. Chestnut rump and white streaks
along either side of the tail.

7) Yellow-breasted bunting: rare - unlikely.

HTH

not yet, but perhaps later.
--
Martin

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 10:55:21 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

To narrow it down a bit they have no green feathers, the coloured
feathers are yellow.

If I remove the Compuserve CDs from the tree, perhaps they will return
for closer scrutiny.



Candidates:

1) Siskin: Under 5". Small green finch, forked tail, male has black cap
and bib. Female duller, and lighter beneath.

2) Serin: same size as the siskin, unlikely, unless you've suddenly
found a forested mountain nearby....... Wild version of the canary.

3) Greenfinch: at just under 6", a bigger bird than the siskin, powerful
beak - sorry - bill

4) Crossbill: 6½"-ish. Unlikely. They like coniferous forests or groups
of mature conifers.

5) Goldfinch: just over 5". Red face,

the birds faces are not red.

white sides to head, black cap.
Mainly buff and black, but with bright yellow bar sandwiched between two
dark grey bars along the wings, and with a white trailing edge. Powerful
bill.

6) Yellowhammer: slightly larger than the greenfinch at 6½"-ish. Male:
face and underside yellow and a dark bar across the eyes and
concentric-ish curved bars round it. Chestnut rump and white streaks
along either side of the tail.

7) Yellow-breasted bunting: rare - unlikely.

HTH

not yet, but perhaps later.
--
Martin

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 22:08:17 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever
give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and
approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

You are talking about three entirely separate species.
They are utterly non-confusable.

Goldfinches have an unmistakable red blotch over the whole face
Yellowhammers have a bright yellow appearance
Greenfinches are dull green with a yellow flash on the side

The likely visitors to bird tables are greenfinches and goldfinches.
You could not mistake them for one another,

and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

I attached an old Compuserve CD to the top of the balls of fat to stop
the starlings eating the fat. Now we only have coal tits eating the
fat.

That I will try today, to see if they deter those damned jackdaws.
Did you attach them such as to reflect horizontally, vertically or randomly?

We had fieldfare in the garden last year.

Franz

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 22:08:17 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever
give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and
approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

You are talking about three entirely separate species.
They are utterly non-confusable.

Goldfinches have an unmistakable red blotch over the whole face
Yellowhammers have a bright yellow appearance
Greenfinches are dull green with a yellow flash on the side

The likely visitors to bird tables are greenfinches and goldfinches.
You could not mistake them for one another,

and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

I attached an old Compuserve CD to the top of the balls of fat to stop
the starlings eating the fat. Now we only have coal tits eating the
fat.

That I will try today, to see if they deter those damned jackdaws.
Did you attach them such as to reflect horizontally, vertically or randomly?

We had fieldfare in the garden last year.

Franz

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 22:08:17 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever
give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and
approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

You are talking about three entirely separate species.
They are utterly non-confusable.

Goldfinches have an unmistakable red blotch over the whole face
Yellowhammers have a bright yellow appearance
Greenfinches are dull green with a yellow flash on the side

The likely visitors to bird tables are greenfinches and goldfinches.
You could not mistake them for one another,

and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

I attached an old Compuserve CD to the top of the balls of fat to stop
the starlings eating the fat. Now we only have coal tits eating the
fat.

That I will try today, to see if they deter those damned jackdaws.
Did you attach them such as to reflect horizontally, vertically or randomly?

We had fieldfare in the garden last year.

Franz

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003 15:34:52 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 22:08:17 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:53:47 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


My wife and I have an inviolate arrangement that neither will ever
give
the
other any present, unless the prospective recipient sees it, and
approves
of
it before any money is spent.

My wife and I pick our own presents, sometimes we get extras as a
surprise. The bird house, bird feeder and a bag of bird seed were
presents from my son. I suppose I could use the bird seed as lawn
seed. After all the birds did eat most of the lawn seed before
somebody here suggested covering it with fleece.
Our garden is inundated with hungry green finches this year, I have
never seen so many before

Ditto, plus goldfinches

I think they are goldfinches my wife thinks they are green finches.
I am sure we called them yellow hammers, when I was a kid.

You are talking about three entirely separate species.
They are utterly non-confusable.

Goldfinches have an unmistakable red blotch over the whole face

so ours are not goldfinches

Yellowhammers have a bright yellow appearance

so have our greenfinches
BUT

Greenfinches are dull green with a yellow flash on the side

that's how they looked when viewed through a pair of binoculars.Viewed
with the naked eye only the yellow wing feathers were noticeable.


The likely visitors to bird tables are greenfinches and goldfinches.

They are green finches.

You could not mistake them for one another,

and, believe it or not, we had fieldfares within ten
yards of the front of the house.
The birds are costing us an arm and a leg in nuts, seeds and fatty cakes

I attached an old Compuserve CD to the top of the balls of fat to stop
the starlings eating the fat. Now we only have coal tits eating the
fat.

In the meantime most of the birds learnt to ignore the CDs, it took
one coal tit only three passes before it ignored a CD and started
eating again. The starlings are still a bit reluctant.

So much for the idea of hanging strings of Compuserve CDs from the
rigging to deter seagulls from crapping on your boat.
--
Martin